


Bloodline Futures

by Misha Berry (MishaDerps)



Category: X-Men (Movies), X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Azazel is Planning Something, Body Dysphoria, Canon Disabled Character, Child Abuse, Childhood Trauma, F/F, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Frottage, Graphic Death Scene, Guilt, Internalized Homophobia, Kid Fic, M/M, Minor Character Death, Past Character Death, Past Child Abuse, Past Torture, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sex, Shaw is a Bastard, Torture, What-If, a lot of the kid characters up there are only mentioned briefly, holocaust survivor, like one line or something, or just a name drop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-24
Updated: 2015-05-15
Packaged: 2018-02-22 10:04:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 74,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2503889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MishaDerps/pseuds/Misha%20Berry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Shaw escaped from the beach, children start to go missing. Mutant children with interesting futures and connections to the X-Men. Erik and Charles must work together to stop Shaw from destroying even more lives and save their own kind from his clutches. But what happens when Erik's own children become the next targets for Shaw's 'program'?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a canon-divergent thing I've had bouncing around in my skull for a while. It's born of my love for Dadneato and happy-endings-that-come-after-shitty-events. I've got another fic rattling around somewhere in my cranium that's born of similar things, but Imma try and finish this one before I write that one.

After everything that had happened on the beach, when all was said and done, Erik had to admit that it was not how he envisioned everything to have ended. He’s actually not sure what he thought might have happened, but he was sure that this wasn’t it.

It honestly hadn’t crossed his mind that Shaw would manage to _escape_.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

Erik looked over at the hospital bed he was standing vigil over, “Just . . . thinking.” he said.

Charles chuckled, his laughter coming out slightly choppy from pain, “So I gathered.” he said, “I was just curious as to what you’re thinking about.”

“Shouldn’t you already know?” Erik asked, not meaning for it to come out as bitter as it had.

“They have me on the good drugs, I’m afraid. If I start poking around in your mind, I might cause a mess.” Charles said. The nurses had doped him up pretty good, but he still looked like he was in a lot of pain.

Erik ran a trembling hand through his hair, “I just . . . I’m a little shaken.” he admitted, “I didn’t think . . . If it wasn’t for Darwin, things might have gone very differently.”

Charles hummed, “I’m quite certain they would have.” he said, “We’ll have to get him a muffin basket or something.”

“I don’t think jokes are very appropriate for the current situation.” Erik growled out.

Charles looked up at Erik with a sad smile, “And what would you have me do otherwise? Erik, we did our best and managed to stop Shaw. We’re going to be okay for now.”

“For now.” Erik repeated, “But what happens when Shaw tries again?”

“Then we stop him again.” Charles said. He watched his friend brood at the window, glaring out at the sunny day outside, “It’s not your fault Erik.” he said quietly.

“Dammit Charles _I shot you in the spine_!” Erik shouted, the metal railing of the bed giving a frightening quiver, “How can you be so calm about it!?”

“Erik.” Charles called, “Erik look at me.” he commanded. Erik didn’t budge, “Look at me Erik.” he said again. Slowly, the tall German man turned to look at his bedridden friend, his only friend, “I’m not paralysed. The damage will heal over time. I might not walk properly ever again, but . . . I’m not paralysed.” he said.

Erik stared at Charles for a long moment before walking over to sit next to the bed in the provided chair, “It doesn’t change what I—“

“Don’t.” Charles urged, “Don’t do that to yourself. It was an _accident_. You deflected the bullet and I happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.” he said, “It’s not your fault you can’t stop bullets.”

Erik looked away, then looked down at his hands, “I should have killed Shaw when I had the chance.” he said quietly, so much so that it was nearly a whisper.

Charles said nothing, just stared at his friend. Erik turned away, unable to look him in the eye. He wanted Shaw dead, but that didn’t mean he wanted to drag Charles down into it with him. He didn’t want Charles to have to deal with the moral culpability. He was already a lost cause, that didn’t mean Charles had to be too.

“So, what next?” Erik asked suddenly, breaking the quiet moment, “What do we do?”

“We rest.” Charles answered, “We rest and we take a long break. Shaw won’t make a move for a while, so we have a reprieve.”

Erik nodded, “I’ll let you sleep.” he said, standing.

“Stay.” Charles requested, “I . . . it helps to have a familiar mind close. Please, stay?”

Erik looked down at Charles, completely still on the bed. He sat down and said nothing. Charles smiled and relaxed into the bed a little more. In a few moments he was asleep again.

It had all happened so fast.

_“What the hell are you doing!?” Darwin shouted, knocking the helmet from Erik’s hands._

_Erik growled and shoved him back, “Stay out of it Darwin, I’m doing what needs to be done.” he said._

_“By resorting to murder!? Fuck that man! That just makes you the same as him!” Darwin shouted._

_Erik bristled, “Silence! You have no idea what you’re talking about!” he snarled._

‘Erik, Darwin, you have to knock Shaw out. I can’t hold him.’ _came Charles’ voice in their heads,_ He’s going to break free.

_“I’ll deal with this.” Erik said, feeling for the coin in his pocket. He was finally going to have his revenge._

‘No Erik, that’s not the answer. We can find a different way.’ _Charles insisted._

_“And what would you suggest, Charles? Politely asking him to stop? We can’t risk leaving him alive.” Erik hissed._

_“Let’s knock him out. We can figure out what to do later.” Darwin said. He stepped toward Shaw, his right hand becoming solid like iron._

‘Hurry, I can’t—!’

_In a millisecond, Erik saw Shaw twitch, “Darwin, get back!” he shouted._

_There was a flash of light and Erik was thrown backwards into the shredded wall of the chamber, knocking his head into a metal beam. The world spun and blurred; he felt himself being lifted and dragged away, out into the light. He gathered his bearings enough to look back, seeing Shaw striding after them into the sand. From there things descended into a blurry chaos._

_In a few minutes, Shaw had the lot of them severely beaten. It was only Darwin’s ability to adapt, refined over the weeks at the mansion, which saved them. It might not have amounted to much if the human’s hadn’t fired missiles at them._

_“Time to go. Azazel.” Shaw commanded. In a moment, he and his band of mutants were gone in a puff of fire and smoke._

_“Erik! The missiles!” someone shouted._

_Erik could hardly stand, his head was throbbing so hard, but he managed to stop the missiles in mid-air around them. He was suddenly filled with rage; how **dare** the humans try and destroy them? Mustering his strength, he turned the missiles back to their origin._

After that, it had all happened so quickly. Charles had grabbed him, trying to stop him from killing the humans who had just tried to blow them to pieces, but when that didn’t work, Moira had started shooting. A few bullets deflected and a frantic scramble to get to a hospital later, here they were.

Erik rubbed his eyes. He had seventeen stitches in the side of his head, multiple rib fractures, and a whole lot of soft tissue and surface bruising. He was also supposed to be under observation for a concussion and internal bleeding, but he’d ‘negotiated’ with the nurse to be let into Charles’ room.

A soft sound from behind caught his attention. He turned to see Raven, in her blonde form, standing at the door.

“How is he?” she asked. She was mostly unscathed, but had some nasty cuts along one side.

“He was awake earlier.” Erik said, turning away from her, “He’s resting.”

Raven came up beside him, “You should go to bed. You’re not well either.” she said, laying a hand on his shoulder gently.

“I’m fine.” he said, “Trust me, I’ve felt worse.”

The silence hung around them for a long moment. Eventually, Raven sat on the edge of the bed and swung her legs over, curling into Charles’ side. Her posture next to him was practised, easy and familiar, like she had slept next to him a million times before. Sensing that the atmosphere had changed, Erik stood and walked out. He did need to rest.

Elsewhere, Alex had his head buried in his hands. Everything had gone belly up and bass-ackwards and he wasn’t sure how he fit into it. Could he have done more? Less? Should he have stepped right instead of left? He was so confused and now the Professor was never going to walk again and maybe he could have done something to stop that from happening.

“Hey.”

Alex looked up into the face of Darwin. The other teen handed him a paper cup of steaming coffee, “Black, one sugar, right?” he asked, smiling tiredly.

Alex took the abysmally small cup, “Yeah, more or less.” he said, taking a sip. It was awful, but it was warm and it was coffee, so he took another sip.

Darwin sat next to him, stirring his own coffee with a little stick, “I like mine with cream and sugar.” he said, taking a sip, “Everyone always said it was kinda girly, but whatever, I like it like that.”

“You’re oddly calm.” Alex grumbled, not looking at his friend, “You been smoking up with Sean or some shit?”

“Nah, I just know we’re gonna get through this.” Darwin said, leaning back in the uncomfortable chairs, “You know, ‘adapt to survive’. Kinda my deal.”

“Right.” Alex said glumly, “Adapt to survive. Wish I could be as optimistic as you.”

“Hey man.” Darwin said, reaching over and putting a comforting hand on Alex’s shoulder, “It’s gonna be okay. We all made it out. We’re gonna beat this thing.”

Alex didn’t say anything, but he leaned into his friend. He was exhausted, he was upset, and he didn’t care what anyone else thought right now. He rested his head on Darwin’s shoulder and closed his eyes. Maybe he was hoping that he would absorb some of his optimism through osmosis, or maybe he just really needed something solid right then. Either way, Darwin was a friend and brother-in-arms (sorta), so he wasn’t going to feel weird about this later.

 

* * *

 

 

A few mornings later, Charles was finally well enough to have everyone in his room (minus Hank, who had to hide away back at the mansion due to his new appearance). Alex, Darwin, Sean, Raven (‘it’s Mystique now, Charles’), Moira, and Erik all shuffled silently into the private room that Charles was still recovering in, their eyes downcast. Charles attempted a weak smile and tried to send waves of reassurance with his telepathy.

“How is everyone?” he asked as they settled into chairs or stood in the corners.

“We’re fine.” Darwin said, “How about you?” he inquired, asking the question everyone was desperate to know the answer to.

Charles decided to choose his words carefully, “I’ll be okay.” he said, “I . . . might not walk the same ever again, but there’s a good chance that I will walk again.” he said, “I’m not paralysed, at least not completely.”

“So, you can still move your legs and stuff?” Sean asked quietly, like he was afraid he would shatter the air and bring bad news crashing around them.

“Not . . . presently, but there’s hope. I’ll be going in for a few surgeries, and with any luck they’ll correct the damage.” Charles assured him, “Anyway, we need to discuss what we’re going to do next.”

“We still need to find Shaw.” Erik said, “He’s not going to give up.”

“How? After everything that happened, I don’t think the CIA is going to be too keen to help.” Moira insisted.

“We’ll find another way Moria.” Charles said, “We can ask Hank to rebuild Cerebro and see if we can’t find him like that.”

“Will that work? If he’s got that helmet thing, you can’t get into his head.” Alex remarked.

Moira shifted uncomfortably, “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but he’s also broken Emma Frost out from detainment.” she said.

“Shit.” Erik hissed, “So he has a way to block both himself and his lackeys.”

“We’ll figure it out.” Charles said, turning to Erik, “You managed to track him down without telepathy or much of anything. We’ll manage somehow.”

The silence hung in the air for a moment as they all contemplated the implications of tracking Shaw down. They didn’t have much of a choice, he needed to be brought down, and they were the only ones capable of doing it.

“I’ll see if I can’t get the CIA back on board, but in all likelihood they aren’t going to want to work with you again. Not after the fiasco that went down.” Moira said.

“And what is their position on mutants?” Erik asked smoothly, but there was a shift in the air as the metal in the room reacted in the tiniest manner.

“Not sure yet.” Moira said with a shrug, “You’ve got people on all sides. A few radicals are calling for immediate action against mutants, but most are still on the fence, testing the waters until they know more. Some of them don’t even believe that mutants exist.” she explained.

“So, we’re safe for now, is what you’re saying.” Charles said, hoping to quell Erik’s instinct to react violently if he felt the smallest threat.

“Yes.” Moira said.

“For now.” Erik growled.

Charles sighed and decided to move on; best to leave that battle for another day, “So, we get some rest, then we resume our search for Shaw.”

“But what about the others?” Raven piped up, having been silent until now, “The other mutants that are out there? Do we bring them in to help?”

“It’s not a bad idea.” Erik said, “Recruiting other mutants to help us. The only reason we stopped was because Whirlwind destroyed Cerebro.”

“We’ll keep it in mind.” Charles said, disliking how the attitude seemed to be one of ‘let’s recruit others into our war against Shaw’ and not ‘let’s help other mutants’, “For now, we need to recover.”

Everyone voiced their agreement, “I’ll go up to the mansion and tell Hank.” Alex said, “I’m not that hurt.”

“You have three broken ribs and a fractured collarbone, I’ll go.” Darwin said, “I’m not even hurt at all.”

“Thank you Darwin. The rest of us should get some rest.” Charles said. He smiled at them, “I want you all to know that I’m proud of you.” he said.

“All of us?” Sean asked incredulously, eyeing Erik. The older man met his gaze and stood his ground.

“All of you.” Charles insisted, “Let’s leave blame in the sand where it belongs.” he said.

Erik was as still as stone, deliberately avoiding Charles’ gaze. He could feel the intense blue eyes staring into him, but he ignored them. Charles may have wanted to leave the blame behind, but Erik didn’t think he’d ever forgive himself.

“Anyway, get some rest.” Charles said, “We have a long and difficult road ahead. Let’s be ready.”

Everyone murmured in agreement and began to shuffle out, everyone but Raven and Erik. Moira hesitated in the door, but continued walking. Raven sat next to her brother on the bed and took his hand, smiling, and Erik went back to the window.

Their journey had just begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so, the reason I didn't make Charles completely paralyzed is that I wanted it to be slightly fix-it-but-not-really. I'd have written him not paralyzed at all, but I didn't want to take away his disability completely because it's important and iconic to his character. Plus all the shippy guilt feels between Erik and Charles.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all get two chapters at once because I didn't want to post it right away.

Azazel wasn’t sure he liked this plan.

In theory, it was fantastic. Shaw had the mind of a brilliant strategist and the drive of a psychopath, making for some of the most interesting plans that Azazel had encountered in his long life. It was the only reason he stuck around; otherwise he’d be off with his own plans.

But this plan was different.

This one involved _kids_.

Azazel had never been accused of being sentimental, but he was self-confident enough to admit that he had a weakness for the plight of small children. They were just so innocent and trusting, it was hard not be endeared by them. It also spoke to his own desire to spread his genetics around (he wasn’t too invested in being a parent, but he enjoyed knowing that he had offspring). This seemed a little cruel, even for him.

“We could just leave.” Janos said, taking another drag of his cigarette, “It’s would be easy. Instantaneous even.” he said, giving Azazel a poignant look.

Azazel didn’t say anything for a moment, “Shaw is paying us well.” he said, “And you have to admit, Comrade, it is a very good plan.”

Janos grumbled, “I still don’t like it.”

“Not enough to go against Shaw though.” Azazel pointed out. Janos just huffed and took one last pull from his cigarette before dropping it to the ground and grinding it with his heel.

“I’m going to go get some coffee.” he said, turning his back on the red mutant. He opened the door and disappeared into the titanic concrete building that was serving as their base of operations.

Azazel just huffed out the smoke from his lungs, watching the blue wisps float into the air. He flicked the dying butt into the gravel and teleported inside the kitchen. He was just putting on a pot of coffee when Janos walked in. He jumped a little when he noticed Azazel, but just rolled his eyes and sat down.

A few minutes later, a harried looked Angel wandered in. She dug around the cabinets for a while before finding a stash of liquor. She poured herself some coffee and then two fingers of vodka into it. Azazel could see that she was shaking.

“Something wrong, princess?” Azazel purred mockingly. He knew that she disliked him, mostly because of his tendency to sneak up on her, and partially because, while she didn’t seem to practise much, she was Catholic and he had a certain resemblance to certain figures from religion.

Angel glared at him and took a sip of her vodka-coffee, wrinkling her pretty nose (Azazel was tempted, but he was smart enough to know that she wouldn’t play game). she didn’t answer him or look either of them in the eye.

 _Azazel, go check on the prisoner._ came a cold as ice voice in their heads. Angel physically shivered.

“I hate it when she does that. It gives me the creeps.” she said. She twirled her mug around in her hands, “Do we really have to keep that girl locked up?”

“It’s a precaution.” Janos said, “She keeps trying to escape.”

“We kidnapped her.” Angel said, beginning to sound distressed, “She wasn’t doing anything and we just took her-“

“All part of the plan, princess.” Azazel drawled, “We need her.”

Angel made a noise of disgust and took another swig from her mug. Azazel rolled his eyes and teleported into the cell they were holding the prisoner in. It was a dark room with no windows. The only way in was the heavy steel door; or, if you were the size of a rat, the vents that were in each corner of the ceiling. There was a naked bulb that hung from the ceiling bathing the space in a dim light, but it hardly mattered; the only occupant of the room wouldn’t be able to see even if the room was flooded with light.

“Checking on me?” came the raspy, croaky voice from the corner of the room.

The source of the voice was a young woman, sprawled over a dingy mattress. Her hair was brownish and matted; it hadn’t been brushed in a while. Her milky white eyes stared unseeing up at Azazel, somehow managing to follow him around the room despite the obvious disability.

“You sound thirsty.” Azazel said, “Shall I get you some water?”

“Sparkling, if you please.” the young woman said.

Azazel grinned, “And a steak dinner?”

“If you would be so kind.”

He actually let out a bark of laughter at that. If he was a little more inclined, he might have taken her away from Shaw to use in his own plans. As it was, he wasn’t willing to incur Shaw’s wrath just yet.

“You don’t want me.” she suddenly said, and her eyes were sudden completely focused on him, as if seeing right through him, “I’m not the one you want.”

Azazel raised an eyebrow, “Do I not?” he asked.

“You’ve met the one you want.” she continued, “You saw her that day on the beach. You saw her scales glitter in the sunshine and thought her pretty.”

Azazel circled around the woman, giving her a wide berth; her mutant gift of precognition was certainly a thing to behold, but Shaw would be cross if he learned that she was ‘wasting it’ on Azazel, or anything that didn’t pertain to his plan. Still Azazel was curious; he had seen that woman on the beach, with her blue face and fire-red hair, and he had thought in passing that she was attractive, if young.

“And she’s who I want?” he encouraged.

“She’s important to the future.” the woman said, “To our futures.”

Azazel stood there another minute considering how to proceed, “And she will come to our side?” he asked. He had to keep her in this state for as long as possible if he wanted his curiosity sated with accuracy.

“There are many sides. She can be on any one she chooses.” she said, then stared directly into Azazel’s eyes, “But so can you.”

Azazel tilted his head, “Can I?”

“You have no loyalty.” she said, “There’s nothing to keep you here.”

He leaned back at that, thinking about what she’d revealed to him. So his future was entwined with that woman from the beach? From what he recalled, she was a shape shifter, and a powerful one at that.

He grinned, “How kind of you to let me know.” he purred.

Now the woman broke from her trance, “Is as much for me as it is for me.” she said.

“If you wanted to bribe me, you should have asked me for a favor before you gave me the information.” Azazel said.

The woman laughed, “Do you really think she’ll just trust you? Just like that?” she asked, “She’d be much more forgiving if showed her your compassionate side.”

Azazel’s tail flicked in an annoyed manner, “Lady, you should know by now, I don’t have a compassionate side.” he growled. With that, he teleported out of the little dungeon room and back to the kitchen to prepare a meal for the sad little wretch.

“Any visions?”

Azazel turned to look at the white-clad figure that he’d grown familiar with, “Surprising to see you down here in the kitchen, Madame. I would have thought that a woman like you would think it beneath her.”

“Believe me, I wouldn’t be here by choice if I had it.” Emma sniffed, wrinkling her nose, “Sebastian is in a tiff because things aren’t moving as fast as he wants.”

“Not my problem.” Azazel said with a shrug. He finished putting together a meager meal. He picked up the tray and was about to go find Janos so he could bring it to her (his job), but Emma laid a tight hand on his elbow.

“Azazel.” she commanded, “Did she have any visions?”

Lying to a telepath was tricky, nearly impossible if the telepath had even a shred of talent. But Azazel had mastered his own mind long ago. Lying was as easy as breathing, and as noticeable as blinking; you didn’t notice it until you were looking. Emma was looking, but he knew that his mind was different from the others around him. She’d once described it as ‘smoke and mirrors’, which was apt, considering his powers. He felt completely confident as he answered her.

“No, nothing.”

Emma stared at him for another moment. Maybe she could tell, maybe she couldn’t, either way, she released him and left the kitchen. Azazel watched her go before teleporting to Janos’s room. He smiled toothily when Janos started so badly that he fell on his ass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooh what is Azazel up to?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this super quick before I have to get to class. I might have had this up sooner, but my computer is a total butt right now. Anyway, enjoy.

Hank inspected his face in the mirror, turning this way and that to get the best look. He ran a clawed hand through the thick fur on his cheek and sighed. He gingerly picked up his glasses and placed them in front of his yellow eyes. Finishing up his morning routine, he headed downstairs.

Making his way to the kitchen, Hank listened for any movement in the house. It was still early, so he wasn’t expecting anyone to be awake yet. He easily made his way through the dark hallways, his eyes now twice as sensitive to light (which made getting around on sunny days something of a hassle). He didn’t really want to meet anyone else in the house right now. He didn’t want to have to see the look in their eyes.

It wasn’t that the others weren’t supportive; it’s that they were trying too hard to be supportive. They would skirt around him, avoiding looking at him for too long, and go out of their way to act like nothing was wrong, like he hadn’t permanently ruined his body with his own shoddy science. The only person he could stand to be around was the Professor, and only because he was in the same boat with his being in a wheelchair.

The worst person to be around right now was Raven, with Erik as a close second, as they both insisted that his new look was perfectly fine, that’d he’d done himself a service. In the weeks since the beach, Raven had taken to wearing her true form all the time, showing as much blue, scaly skin as possible, like a slap in the face for Hank (who didn’t have the benefit of being able to change back to looking normal if he chose to). Erik had taken to complimenting him on his appearance, which was worse that the way Sean and Alex and Darwin would completely ignore his appearance and avoid talking about it at all costs.

Hank groaned and rubbed his eyes until he saw spots. He rounded the corner to the kitchen and set off making some coffee and breakfast for himself. He was so absorbed that he almost didn’t notice when someone walked in.

“Good morning.” Raven said padding through the kitchen on bare feet. She went straight past him and started making herself a bowl of cereal.

“You’re up early.” Hank observed, turning to his oatmeal on the stove and trying not to be distracted by her naked body.

“Couldn’t sleep.” she said, hoisting herself onto the counter, “So I went for a run.”

‘Dressed like that? It’s freezing out.” Hank said. Of course he didn’t get cold any more, not with his thick fur.

Raven rolled her eyes, “I had sweats on, I’m not stupid.” she said.

Hank hummed and concentrated on his oatmeal. Raven continued to eat her cereal on the counter, completely comfortable with her nakedness. The kitchen began to lighten as the sun started to come up; the others would start waking up soon.

Raven hopped off the counter and went to wash her bowl in the sink, “You know you brought in on yourself. You can’t blame me.” she said suddenly, breaking the tense silence.

“I don’t.” Hank growled low and animalistic. He cleared his throat and continued with a normal voice, “I don’t blame you.”

Raven was silent. She finished washing her dish and turned to leave, “I was thinking of throwing a nice lunch tomorrow. For Charles.” she said, standing in the doorway with her back turned to Hank, “You’re welcome to join.”

“I’ll think about it.” Hank answered, spooning his oatmeal into a bowl and reaching for the honey. He didn’t look at her, but he heard her receding footsteps down the hall. He let out a breath he wasn’t aware he’d be holding and stared down into his breakfast. After a moment of thought, he scraped it into the trash and washed the bowl clean.

 

* * *

 

 

Charles woke up in pain. It was becoming the norm for him.

Hissing, he gingerly sat up, using his upper body for most of the work. His lower back screamed in pain, but Charles ignored it in favor of reaching for his various bottles of pills on the nightstand and the water bottle he’d left there. Shakily managing to count out his prescribed dosage, he swallowed them down with a generous swig. He gently laid back down, flat on his back, and waited patiently for the various drugs to kick in and alleviate his pain. He might have pulled his wedge pillow for his legs over, but it was off in the corner of the bed and he didn’t feel like sitting up again.

As the throbbing receded, Charles glanced over at the wheelchair sitting innocently beside his bed. Absently, he rubbed his thigh; it had been weeks now, but his legs had stubbornly refused to move. He could still feel sensation, but that nearly made it worse. It was like a tease and a curse; he could feel his muscles atrophying, cramping from inactivity, and maddening him with random spasms. Some days he was in so much pain that he could hardly get out of bed.

With a groan, Charles pushed himself upright and reached for the chair. He was getting better at doing himself; everyone in the house had given him permission to call them if he needed help, but he wanted to learn to do it on his own. He hadn’t realized what a gift self-reliance was until it had been ripped away from him.

 _“Don’t be unfair Charles.”_ he thought to himself, _“It was an accident.”_

After a moment’s struggle, he managed to get himself into his chair without tipping over and dumping himself onto the floor. With a little difficulty, he wheeled himself to his dresser; as he was opening his drawers, there was a knock at the door.

“Charles?” came Erik’s voice, “Are you awake?”

“I’m up.” Charles called back, “Come in.”

Erik opened the door and strode in, his gait portraying confidence, but his mind blurry with a mixture of guilt and worry. He stopped a few feet from Charles.

“You managed to get yourself up this morning. That’s good.” he said, trying desperately not to sound strained.

“Yes, I’m getting better at it.” Charles said, smiling a little.

Erik shifted a little awkwardly, “Do you need help getting dressed?’ he offered.

“I think I’ll try to get that myself today.” Charles said, “Need to practise and all.”

“Right.” Erik said, “Shall I leave you to it?”

“Stay. Just in case.”

Erik nodded and sat on the bed, looking out the window while Charles removed his pyjamas and attempted to dress himself. It went mostly fine until he caught his pants under his thighs.

“Could you-?” he didn’t need to finish his sentence as Erik got up and came to help him. He gently lifted Charles as the dark hair man tugged his trousers up around his hips, “Thank you.” he said.

“It’s not a problem.” Erik said, respectfully stepping back while Charles finished dressing.

Once Charles was presentable, he wheeled himself out into the hall, Erik falling into step behind, “Has there been any progress on Cerebro?” Charles asked, pretending not to notice that his chair was moving faster than it normally would be (he suspected magnetic interference).

“Hank actually went to bed last night.” Erik said, “But I think he was up this morning.”

“Good, he’s been pushing himself too far lately.” Charles said, “He needs to take care of himself.”

Erik didn’t say anything, remaining completely silent as they reached the kitchen. He walked past Charles to start making breakfast. He was a surprisingly good cook if he put effort into what he was doing.

“French toast?” he suggested.

“Mm, only if we have cinnamon.” Charles said. He noticed the morning paper on the far side of the counter (where Alex usually left it once he was done with it) and stretched to reach it. His back gave a spasm of protest and he yelped in pain.

“Charles!” Erik cried, dropping the pan and rushing to his side.

“What happened?” Alex asked, stepping into the kitchen with Darwin.

“I’m alright.” Charles assured, “Just over reached trying to get the paper is all.”

“Are you sure? Should I get your pills?” Darwin offered worriedly.

“Oh man, I shouldn’t have left it so far from the edge. This is my fault.” Alex said, starting to panic a little.

“You should have asked me to get it. I don’t mind Charles, honestly.” Erik said.

“Well I mind.” Charles snapped, “Just bloody leave me alone!”

Everyone stepped back at that, silenced by the outburst. Charles tried not to feel too guilty for it. He was sick and tired of being coddled and handled like he was made of glass. But the look on Alex’s face was enough to break him. He let out a tired sigh and rubbed his eyes.

“I’m sorry, that was rude of me.” he said, “I know you’re trying to help.”

Everyone relaxed, but it was Darwin who broke the tension, “It’s okay Prof, we’re being overbearing.” he said, “We can give you some space if you need it.”

Charles smiled up at the dark skinned man, “Thank you Darwin.” he said. He sighed again and leaned back in his chair, “It’s just . . . this is taking some getting used to.”

“I get it man.” Darwin said, leaning against the counter as Erik went back to the stove, “When my momma broke her ankle she had to be in a wheelchair for two months. She hated it so much.”

Charles smiled; it was common to hear about Darwin’s mother, but Charles could detect an undercurrent of rejection radiating off of Darwin every time he spoke about her. He supposed he shouldn’t be surprised that not all parents were welcoming of their mutant children.

“What’s for breakfast?” Alex asked, coming down from his mini-panic.

“Erik’s making French toast.” Charles said.

Erik growled, “You two are perfectly capable of reaching the stove yourselves. Make your own breakfast.”

“Erik.” Charles scolded, “Be nice.”

“Yeah, you make the best French toast.” Alex protested.

“Besides, you really want Alex to try and cook again?” Darwin asked, raising an eyebrow.

Erik seemed to consider it for a moment, then let out an exasperated sigh, “What toppings do you want?”

“I’m not picky.” Alex said. Darwin expressed his want for fruit.

Charles chuckled and picked up the discarded paper (moved closer to the edge), “Could one of you boys put the kettle on for me?” he asked.

The four of them relaxed into an easy state, with Charles reading at the table, Erik at the stove, and Alex and Darwin filling the silence with animated talk. It was hardly disrupted when Sean shuffled in like a zombie, dropping into a chair and promptly falling asleep with his face on the table. Erik dutifully served out pieces of hot and crisp toast, prepared perfectly and with everyone’s preferred toppings.

“So what are we doing today?” Darwin asked, finishing his second helping.

“I’m not sure. I’m going to have to talk to Hank about how Cerebro is coming along, and Moira is supposed to call sometime today.” Charles said.

Erik made a noise as he sipped his coffee, “Are you sure it’s wise to keep having her around?” he asked, voice steady, “She may be able to inform us of the CIA’s doings, but she’s also able to inform them of our doings.”

“Aw man, don’t be like that. Moira’s nice.” Darwin said.

“She’s pretty.” Sean said dreamily, still mostly asleep.

“No no, Erik has a point.” Charles said, “As much as Moira has been helpful, she’s a liability to us as well.”

“So we’re just going to ditch her?” Alex growled, crossing his arms.

“Nothing so drastic, but we don’t really have a choice.” Charles said, “The CIA is refusing to help us catch Shaw, and as long as Moira is affiliated with us, they’re going to try and get information out of her about our whereabouts.”

“What are they going to do? Come and arrest us?” Sean challenged, more awake now.

“Yes, they will. If we’re not careful, mutants will start getting rounded up and taken away. The public will get a bullshit story and turn a blind eye while we’re slaughtered in droves.” Erik growled.

“That wouldn’t happen.” Sean defended, then wilted, “Would it?”

Erik drew himself up, “It already has.” he said, absently rubbing his left forearm. The younger men in the room shifted uncomfortably. Charles only sighed.

“We won’t let it come to that.” he promised, “We’re going to make sure that humans and mutants can live peacefully together.”

Erik raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as he gathered the plates and dishes to wash them in the sink. Sean seemed reassured by Charles’ words, but Alex’s face was hard with tension. Darwin just tapped the side of his coffee mug.

 _Professor?_ came a voice in Charles’ head, _Can you hear me?_

 _I can hear you Hank._ Charles thought back, bringing a finger to his temple to help concentrate, _What is it?_

 _Cerebro is operational._ Hank thought with a burst of pride.

Charles smiled, _That’s great Hank, I’ll be right down to test it._ “Looks like we’re back in action my friends. Cerebro is finally running.”

Sean let out a cheer, banging his hand on the table and knocking into Alex, who growled at him, but seemed pleased that they were finally going to be doing something and stop sitting around. Darwin just looked fond, and Erik grinned toothily.

“It’s about time.” he said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we start getting into the plot. If anyone has any suggestions on how to make the portrayals of Charles' condition more realistic, let me know in the comments. Feedback is love.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beep boop this took a lot longer than expected. University homework demands a lot of time.

“Still nothing?” Hank asked, stepping forward as Cerebro powered down.

Charles rubbed his face with his hands, “Nothing. Absolutely nothing.” he said tightly, “No trace of Shaw or any of his acolytes. They’re either blocked or dead.”

“Well, knowing our luck, probably the former.” Hank said, scratching his head, “I’ll try and recalibrate it to see if I can make it more accurate.”

“Thank you Hank.” Charles said with a tired sigh. He looked up at his friend, “How are you doing today?”

Hank didn’t say anything for a long moment, concentrating on his work, “I’m fine.” he said tensely.

Charles kept his eyes trained on the other man, “Did you eat today?” he asked.

“I had some toast.” Hank said quietly, almost a mumble (that sounded a bit like a growl).

Charles raised an eyebrow, “Is that all? You should come up and have dinner with everyone.” he said, “Erik is cooking.”

Hank let out a chuckle, “He is a very good cook.” he said, “I’ll try and come up.”

“Hank.” Charles said, laying a hand on the blue mutant’s bulky arm, “I mean it. Come up and have dinner with everyone. The more they see you, the more they’ll get used to your appearance. I know it’s difficult, it’s been the same for me, but the best thing you can do is try and move forward.”

Hank sighed and rubbed his eyes, shifting a little on his feet, “It’s just so hard.” he said in a small voice.

“I know. I know it’s hard.” Charles said, wishing he could stand and hug his friend, “But the way they act around you is not your fault. It’s something that they have to correct. It’s not your fault in the slightest.”

“No, that’s wrong.” Hank looked down at his hands, “I did this. I did this to myself and now I’m this . . . beast.” he growled, “And it’s not just my body, I can feel my mind slipping sometimes.”

“You know I can help with that.” Charles said, “You don’t have to do this alone.”

“I’ll be fine.” Hank said, retreating after the emotional vulnerability, “I just . . . I need some time.”

Charles sighed, “Alright. We’ll save you some dinner.” he said, taking his hand off of Hank’s arm.

“Thank you Professor.” Hank said, turning to his machines, “I’ll be down here if you need me.”

Charles nodded and wheeled himself back to the elevator. It was newly installed and at very little cost. Erik was a godsend for construction work, though he complained about being used as free labor (which Charles countered by pointing out that he was staying at his house for free). Charles smiled a little fondly at the memory of Erik hard at work, sweating and shirtless as he directed the metal beams and wires.

It had become obvious to Charles that he was becoming more and more attracted to his friend, despite the tension between them due to his injury. It had started while they were searching for the others mutants; Erik had been the first other mutant that he’d ever encountered, aside from Raven. He was brilliant, handsome, and passionate. It was difficult not to be enamoured with the stoic German man.

Which was why he knew he had to stay away from him.

There were several reasons that Charles could list for his decision; aside from a relationship between two men being illegal, Erik was clearly not interested in him in a sexual or romantic way. In fact he seemed to be more interested in Raven. Charles had initially rankled at the idea of the two of them together, but seeing Raven so relaxed and happy now had softened him to the idea. Erik was clearly giving her something that Charles could not; if that meant that he had to keep a leash on his feelings, he would.

The elevator dinged and Charles got out with some struggle. It never stopped level with the floor, so often his wheels got stuck in the gap. Erik was fixing it, but it was taking some time.

“Why don’t you ever just call for help?”

Charles looked up to see his sister, once again nearly naked in the hallway, “I have to learn to do it on my own.” he said.

“You don’t have to learn right away.” Raven said, chuckling a little, “It’s okay to need help.”

Charles sighed tiredly and smiled up at his sister, “I know. I’m just getting used to it is all.”

Raven padded forward on bare feet and took hold of his chair to help him down the hallway, “Well, we’re all here for you.” she said, patting his shoulder.

“Thank you.” Charles said, “It’s nice to be talking to you again. I was beginning to think you didn’t have time for me anymore.” he said with a strained chuckle.

Raven smiled, “Well, to be honest, I was still a little mad at you.” she admitted, “You were so pig headed about what I was going through.”

“Was I? I’m sorry.” Charles said, then frowned, “Really Raven—“

“It’s Mystique now Charles.”

“Right, ‘Mystique’.” he repeated, “I wasn’t really aware that there was anything wrong.”

Mystique stopped, “Really? You didn’t even realize?” she asked, almost accusing.

Charles looked a little sheepish, “I noticed that you were acting differently, but I stayed out of your head and figured you’d work through it on your own.” he said, “I didn’t know I was contributing to the problem.”

Mystique stared hard at him for a long moment, her yellow eyes boring holes in his. She let out a long sigh, “I’d say it was okay, but it’s really not.” she said, “You never _got it_ , not the way I did. Yeah you had to hide, but not the same way. You were still _you_ , people knew who you were.” she glanced down at the back of her scaled, blue hand, “It’s not the same for me.”

Charles leaned back in his chair and looked up at her with his most sincere look, “I’m listening. Tell me.”

Mystique took another deep composing breath, “I never got to just be _me_ around other people. The only person I knew that I could be safe around in my true form was you, and you didn’t seem to notice that.” she said, “You didn’t realize what I was going through and it was so _frustrating_.”

“I’m sorry.” Charles said.

“You should be you dope.” she said, smacking him lightly on the head, “Erik was the first person in my life to call me beautiful in my own skin. To _prefer_ me in my own skin.”

Charles tried to ignore the stab of pain at those words, “And I suppose the two of you are closer for it?” he said, trying his darnedest not to sound bitter.

“I suppose.” Mystique said, pushing them forward again, “We haven’t really talked since the beach.” she said as they reached the library.

“No? You two seemed so intimate.” Charles said, twisting (gently) to look at her.

Mystique gave a hollow laugh, “Yeah maybe, but he shut me out after that night. ‘Wham bam thank you Mystique’ kind of deal I guess.” she said, “Whatever, I don’t need him to feel beautiful. I’m beautiful and I know it.” she said, drawing herself up, like she was gathering strength from her own words. From what Charles could glean from her mind without probing deeper, she was trying to turn fake confidence into real confidence. She was right, he never had realized what she was going through. It must have been so difficult for her, and Charles had been no help. It was no wonder that she had fallen into Erik’s arms so willingly, with his automatic acceptance of any mutation as inherently better than the non-mutated version. The more overt and more on display those mutations were, the better, it seemed.

“Hang on a tick, you had _sex_ with Erik!?”

“Charles, oh my God!”

They argued for a minute over the revelation, until Raven— Mystique shut him down by threatening to go over every detail of her night with Erik unless he dropped it. Unhappily, Charles let the subject go, though he plotted a confrontation with the other man in his head (not necessarily a shovel speech, but something along those lines).

It wasn’t that he objected to his sister having a sex life (not that he needed to hear about it, _ever_ ), it was the underlying hurt he felt that he’d been kept in the dark about it, and that it had been _Erik_ of all people. It stung, but it wasn’t surprising. Erik had been fascinated by Raven's— Mystique’s true form. He’d never met another mutant in his life, and suddenly he was surrounded by mutants with all kind of abilities. Charles comforted himself with the idea that Erik would have been just as infatuated by Angel, had she stayed, as he was with Mystique and, to an extent, Hank.

“Anyway, if you’re quite done, I’m going for a walk.” Mystique said, “Since I stopped hiding myself, I’ve got so much more energy. I’ve picked up jogging.”

Charles wanted to her to stay, make up for lost time with him, but he didn’t want to accidentally push her away again, “Alright. Come and have tea with me when you’re done, if you like.”

Mystique smiled, “Sounds great.” she said. She leaned down to kiss his forehead and then straightened. She smiled one last time before turning to leave, her blue form retreating into the cavernous house.

Charles smiled after her and promised himself to pay attention to her more; he was her brother, and he needed to help her through her problems, not perpetuate them. He picked up a book and resigned himself to reading for an hour or two until lunch.

He was about three and a half chapters into _Crime and Punishment_ when there was a knock at the entrance of the library. He looked up to see Erik standing in the doorway.

“Moira just called, she’s on her way up.” he said, “She said she’d be here in an hour or so.”

“Alright, we’ll put the kettle on.” Charles said. His eye caught the chess set in the corner, “Fancy a game until then?”

Erik glanced at the set, “Sure. I’m not doing anything.” he said. He took the set and laid out the board on the table as Charles wheeled himself over.

“So, you and my sister.” Charles said, trying and failing to sound casual. He kept his eyes trained on the other man.

Erik betrayed nothing in his face or movements, but the stretched silence said all it needed to, “It wasn’t meant to be this way.” he said, “I had intended to have a talk with her afterwards, but after everything that happened, she seemed to need to figure things out on her own.” he set out the last of the black pieces and moved on to the white (he always set them up one colour after the other, though the pieces themselves were selected randomly), “She seems to be doing well on her own. She’s figuring out who she is.”

“Tricky business for a shape shifter, I suppose.” Charles said. He was silent for another long moment, “I want to be angry with you.”

“But?” Erik prompted.

“I’m mostly angry with myself for not noticing.” Charles said, “She’s my sister.”

“Which was precisely why she came to me.” Erik said, “She wanted to feel sexually attractive in her own skin, and you are not a candidate for that. Hank was for a while, but he rejected her in favor of pursuing his own goals.”

Charles sighed and rubbed his eyes until he saw spots, “This is all so complex and I really wish I didn’t have to think about it.”

Erik didn’t say anything as he finished setting up the pieces, “For what it’s worth, I feel guilty for taking advantage of Mystique.” he said finally, “White or black?”

“Black.” Charles answered, “And you should. She was clearly vulnerable. And I want you to have a talk with her to explain yourself and apologise.”

“Well well, aren’t we the protective older brother.” Erik hummed as he made the first move.

“Yes, I am. We’re all we have in the world.” Charles answered. They exchanged a few moves before he said, “You’ve been very quick to fall into calling her Mystique.”

Erik shrugged and moved his rook, “Identity is important. She needs to claim her own. I can empathize.” he said. His other hand drifted to his left forearm for a moment.

Charles noticed the movement, “I suppose you would.” he said.

Erik said nothing for a long moment, then continued, “It took a long time after . . . after the camps to figure out who I was again. I took up a different name for a while, lived a different life. But when I started looking for Shaw, I took back Erik Lehnsherr. It felt right, in a way poetic. Erik had no family, no attachments, nothing after the camps. It had all been taken away, so he had nothing to lose.”

Charles watched Erik for a long moment, “I think I understand.” he said softly, “What name did you have after? When you were living this other life?”

“Magnus. Magnus Maximoff.” Erik answered, looking far off in memory, “But he’s gone. There’s no place for him anymore.” he said quickly, coming back to the present. Charles knew better than to press.

They played in silence for a long while after, the only sounds being the ticking of the antique grandfather clock in the corner of the room and the pieces clicking softly on the wooden playing board. In the distance there were the muffled sounds of the others in the house. If Charles opened his mind a little he could feel Alex and Darwin talking in the upstairs study, Sean raiding the kitchen for snacks, Rav— _Mystique_ wandering around the old house in deep thought, and Hank tinkering away down in the guts of the basement where Cerebro was hidden. It was more life than the house had seen in decades, and Charles was starting to relax into it again, no longer expecting old ghosts to leap out from dark corners. It was nice.

The sound of tires on gravel came to their attention. Charles reached out instinctively with his mind, ready to attack any threat. Instead he found Moira, arriving just as she’d promised.

“Let’s put this on hold and see if our friend has any good news for us.” Charles said.

Erik grumbled as he stood, “Or, more likely, bad news.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're still mostly in the exposition stages of the story, but I wanted to explore the character development and relationships. Plus there are several things that will be important for later chapters.


	5. Chapter 5

“I’m afraid that there’s not much to say since the last time.” Moira said, “I’ve got something that might be something, but I don’t know.”

“Anything is something at this point Moira.” Charles said, patting her arm in a consoling manner, “Show us what you’ve got.”

Moira nodded and began laying out papers over the table in the big dining room, “So far there’s not much to go on. I’ve been keeping my ear to the ground over anything that might link back to Shaw, but I think most of it dates back to before . . . before Cuba.” she paused, “The only thing that’s recent are the kidnappings.”

“Kidnappings?” Charles asked, sitting up a little straighter.

“A few kids have simply vanished.” Moira explained, “There one second and gone the next. Witnesses say that they simply turned around for a second and then the kid was gone.”

“And you think it’s Shaw?” Erik asked, picking up one stack of papers and flipping through it.

“Well, several witnesses also say they heard a concussive noise and smelled something like sulfur when the kids vanished.” Moira said, “I thought it might be that red guy, the one who teleports.”

“Azazel.” Charles said, “It’s certainly possible. But why kidnap children?”

“I’m not sure. Nothing has been heard from by the kids after their disappearance.” Moira said, “There’s only a few cases here in the US, but I went out on a limb and looked up reports from other countries, just to see if anything similar had happened. That’s when I stumbled across a case from Austria.” she pulled up a stack of papers and started laying them out. Clipped to the front was a photograph and a young woman with brown hair and milk-white eyes, “Irene Adler, abducted three months ago from her home in Vienna. No witnesses saw the kidnapping, but they heard shouting and there were signs of a struggle.”

“Just sounds like a regular kidnapping so far.” Darwin said.

“That’s what I thought, but I started looking at other incidents in the area.” Moira said, pulling up some other stacks, “And two things caught my attention. About five years ago, Ms. Adler was admitted to a mental hospital. Apparently, Ms. Adler claimed to see visions of the future. No one believed her, obviously, but I managed to get transcripts from her doctor on her ‘visions’.”

“How did you manage that?” Erik asked, raising an eyebrow.

Moira shrugged, “I called in a favour from a friend stationed in Vienna.” she said, offering no other explanation, “Anyway, I cross referenced her ‘visions’ with actual events, and there was a ninety-five percent accuracy to her predictions.”

Mystique’s eyebrows rose, “Ninety-five percent? She was psychic?”

Moira shrugged, “I believe so.”

“May I see that dossier on Ms. Adler?” Charles asked, reaching out his hand. Moira laid it in his hand and he started flipping through the pages. Her ‘predictions’ had started around the age of eight or nine (they were listed in her medical records as schizophrenic hallucinations), and had fully taken over her life in her early teens, “Her development sound like typical mutant manifestation of powers.” he said.

“A mutant with the power to see the future.” Erik said, sounding contemplative, “Someone like that would be very useful to anyone, no matter what side.”

"What was the other thing?" Sean asked, looking up at Moira.

"Around the time she disappeared, there was a sighting of a devil in the same area Ms. Adler lived." Moira explained, "Described as a red skinned man in a suit with a spaded tail and a scar over his eye. Witnesses claimed he vanished in a burst of fire."

"Azazel." Charles said again, rubbing his forehead.

“So Shaw nabbed this girl and is what, using her to grab kids? What for?” Alex asked.

“My guess is that the children are mutants whose powers have yet to emerge.” Charles said, “He’s using Ms. Adler to find them and then take them.”

“And then unlock their powers.” Erik growled, the metal around him shifting and trembling, “Just like he did to me.”

Charles laid and hand on his elbow as everyone else in the room took a step back from the enraged man, “Erik, we’ll get them back.” he promised, “We’ll find them and we’ll help them.”

“Wh-what were the names of the kids?” Mystique asked, trying to distract from the current atmosphere.

“Um, hang on.” Moira said, shifting through the stacks, keeping the corner of her eye on Erik, “There’s a list here— ah, here we go. The ones I’ve been able to identify are Jason Wyngarde, age unknown, but estimated ten to twelve, abducted while on the road with a circus caravan. John Proudstar, age six, abducted from his home in Camp Verde, Arizona. Jean Grey, age five, abducted while at school in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. Scott Summers, age six, abducted from—“

“Hang on, what did you say?” Alex asked suddenly, “Did you say Scott Summers?”

Moira looked startled, “Y-Yes. He was abducted from the State Home for Foundlings in Omaha, Nebraska just three weeks ago.” she said, flipping through the pages to double check.

Alex snatched up the file and shifted through the papers until he came upon a photo of the boy.

“Holy shit, he looks just like you.” Sean said, peering over his shoulder, “You related?”

Alex pushed down a wave of nausea, “H-he’s my brother.” he choked, “I thought he was dead.”

There was a sudden shocked silence over the room; Alex never spoke about his family, or his life before Erik and Charles had taken him form solitary confinement. Every time the subject came up, he avoided talking about by either deflecting the question or redirecting to a different topic. This was the first time any of them had even heard of a brother. Alex looked like he was about to be ill; he'd gone pale and slightly greenish, and was shaking so hard that he looked like he might fall over.

“Alex.” Charles soothed, wheeling over to console the distraught teen, “Alex, it’s going to be okay. We’re going to find Shaw and find your brother and bring him home.”

“I thought he was dead. They told me he hit his head so bad. I didn’t even think to start looking— oh God.” Alex doubled over and vomited onto the floor, retching and coughing, “I didn’t even look for him.” he choked.

“Darwin, can you fetch Alex a glass of water please?” Charles asked, patting Alex’s shoulder as he retched again, “And a bucket?”

“Sorry Professor.” Alex moaned, “’Bout the carpet.”

“No worries, it was hideous anyway.” Charles said, “We’ll get Scott back.”

“And we’ll stop Shaw.” Erik said, “By any means necessary.” he growled, threatening and sinister.

The tension was broken by Darwin’s return, “Glass of water and a hot towel and a bucket.” he said, laying the towel over Alex’s neck. He handed him the glass and rubbed slow circles into his back, “Just take it easy buddy.”

Alex nodded and sat down in a chair, head down and breathing deeply. He was visibly shaking, so hard that he was having trouble steadying his hand to have a drink of water. Darwin knelt next to him and continued to rub his back soothingly.

“Are those all the children?” Charles asked eventually.

Moira shook her head, “There was one more that’s a maybe. Shiro Yoshida, a Japanese United Nations ambassador’s son went missing in a similar way a few weeks ago, but it might be unconnected.”

“There are probably others around the world.” Erik said, “It wouldn’t be limited to just the United States.”

“I’ll look into it.” Moira said, “See what I can find.”

“Thank you Moira. Is there anything else?” Charles asked.

Moira shook her head, “A few known bases of Shaw’s have been searched, but nothing came up. I wanted to get them to search for other places he might be, but everything’s halted over the whole mutant debacle.”

“And how is that going, by the way?” Erik asked coolly.

Moira met his hard stare, “Almost everyone agrees that, until more is known, they shouldn’t make a move. There are no plans to do anything to mutants. There isn’t even a movement to identify more mutants. The most anyone put forward as action was to keep an eye on known mutants for any terrorist activity.” she said, “And the only known mutants so far are you and Shaw.”

“So, unless we plan to blow up the White House, I think we’re alright for a while.” Charles said.

Erik continued to stare hard at Moira, and then turned sharply and left. Charles sighed and rubbed his eyes, “Thank you Moira.” he said, “It was nice of you to come.”

Moira smiled at Charles, “It’s no big deal.” she said, “I like helping.”

Charles smiled up at her, “And we’re very grateful for that.” he said.

Moira’s smile fell a little, “But?” she asked. She could feel that there was something that Charles wasn’t telling her.

Charles glanced at Darwin and Sean and Mystique, still consoling Alex. _Let’s take a walk,_ he projected into her mind. She nodded and followed him out into the hallway.

“I’m worried about you Moira.” he said, “Your continued association with us must be straining your work.”

Moira shrugged, but he could feel her frustration in her mind, “It’s fine.” she lied.

Charles looked up at her, “It’s very generous for you to be helping us, but I think we both know that it can’t continue.” he said as they came outside and onto the grounds.

Moira was silent for a long moment, “So you’re ditching me.” she said softly.

“Don’t say it that way.” Charles pleaded, “It’s too dangerous to have you coming around all the time and calling us. You say the government isn’t making a move, but they would be stupid not to exploit the window that you give them to us.”

“You know I’m careful.” Moira said, starting to sound annoyed, “And in fact, having connections to you is probably the only thing keeping me at my job. My superiors would love to send me back to the typing pool with the other women.” she hissed.

“Moira, this is difficult for me as it is.” Charles said with a sigh, “I wish it could be another way, but I can’t risk those under my roof. I’m responsible for their safety.”

Moira looked like she was about to cry, “So that’s it then? Wring me for information and then hang me out to dry?”

“It’s not like that Moira.” Charles said softly, “You’ve been a big help. I wish it could be different—“

“But it can’t.” Moira said, tears rolling down her face now, “I have to never contact you again. For safety.” she spat bitterly.

Charles said nothing, but watched Moira’s back as she stepped down the path away from him. He wished he could take her in as part of the team, but it was too big of a gamble that he just couldn’t risk. She was useful, but a time bomb. Her loyalties were first to her job, not to them, this ragtag team of genetic misfits. The only reason she had sought him out was tied back to her work. As much as she had been helpful to them, her place was with her job, and her job was part of a government that could use her to get to them. Watching her trembling form, Charles could only say, “I’m sorry.”

Moira let out a bitter laugh and said nothing. Charles wished there was some way to comfort her, but he figured that anything he said now would only make things worse.

“We’re going to have dinner soon, if you want to join us one last time.” he said quietly.

“No thank you.” Moira said tensely, “I think I’ll just go home.” she turned and strode past Charles confidently.

“Moira wait.” Charles called, turning with some difficulty on the pathway. When she didn’t stop, he sighed and lifted a hand to his temple.

 _Forget_ he instructed.

 

* * *

 

 

“You gonna be okay buddy?” Darwin asked, for what felt like the millionth time.

Alex sighed, “Yeah, I’m fine.” he said, running a hand through his hair, “I’ll be okay.”

The silence stretched between them for a while. Mystique and Sean had both been shooed away after Darwin insisted that he could handle comforting Alex on his own. Mystique seemed to catch on and had ushered Sean away and out of the room. Now they were alone.

“Still feel bad about the carpet.” Alex said, taking another sip from his glass of water.

Darwin glanced at the discoloured spot they had moved away from, “You really didn’t do any damage that wasn’t a mercy. It really is hideous.” he said.

Alex chuckled and leaned into Darwin. He was suddenly overcome by maudlin thoughts, “I didn’t even think for a moment that Scott was still alive.” he said, “He’s been alone all this time.”

“We’ll get him back.” Darwin promised, wrapping his arm around the blond, “We’ll get him back and he’ll be with his big brother again.”

Alex said nothing, only let out a depressed sigh. Darwin rubbed his back, doing his best to comfort his friend in his time of need. Gently, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, bumping their noses together.

“It’ll be okay.” Darwin said again, “We’ll make it okay.”

Alex nodded and took a moment to nuzzle into Darwin’s welcoming heat, then pulled away, “Can’t believe you did that after I’ve been puking my guts up. Gross man.”

Darwin laughed and bumped his shoulder, “Seemed like you needed it.” he said. He stood up and offered a hand, “Come on, you should clean up.” he said.

Alex took the hand and stood, “Yeah, sounds good.” he said.

Their hands lingered together for a moment before separating. They walked out of the room, shoulder to shoulder, but never touching.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't tell if these chapters are getting longer or shorter.
> 
> So,I probably won't update for a while, since I have finals and essays coming up and shit. Gotta buckle down and do those before I start writing the next part of this.
> 
> Wish me luck!

Irene felt out with her hands, reaching along the cool, hard walls of her cell. By now she had memorised nearly everything she could reach. He fingered the door, yanking the lever that would allow it to open if it weren’t locked tight. She took a deep breath and tried to concentrate; pathways like spider webs stretched out in front of her eyes. She could see bright lights and fading flickers in the distance of futures yet to come. Each strand was fragile, easily broken and discarded with the slightest decision. It was impossible to extract any one strand from the rest. At any given moment the timelines converged to create the present, and only Irene could see it.

But she could seem to find a way out of here.

She checked daily, going as far as she could without getting sucked into a vision and alerting her captors to her efforts. It was exhausting her, especially when Shaw was so intent on using her as much as possible before she collapsed. She would have resisted more, but that woman, Emma Frost, could slip into her head and force her into a vision. It was starting to take its toll; Irene could see her own future, with her limp body housing a broken mind, all will to fight gone.

 _“No, not yet.”_ she thought, gritting her teeth. She was going try again. She was going to try and try until she was dead.

Irene cleared her mind and reached out again with her powers, feeling along the spider-strands, hoping to find one that would lead to her escape. The web was constantly changing, and it could offer up something new at any given moment.

_Is someone there?_

Irene stopped, for a moment believing she’d imagined the small voice in her head. However, after a moment of silence, she heard it again, this time stronger and more clearly.

_Is someone there? Can somebody help me?_

At that moment, Irene ‘saw’ a path stretch out before her, luminous and brilliant amongst the others. She reached out and gently ‘plucked’ it, feeling it resonate through her body. She shut herself down before she could slip into a vision and focused on the scared little voice.

 _I’m here,_ she thought, _What’s your name?_

 _Jean Grey,_ the voice thought back to her, stronger now. Irene could feel her fear and confusion and loneliness, _Where am I?_

 _I’m not sure,_ Irene answered, _But I’m trapped here too. And I need your help to get out._

Irene felt the girl mull it over a little. She was scared and unsure; she’d probably encountered Frost by now and was afraid of what could happen to her. Finally, she answered, _What do you need from me?_

 _There’s a big lock on my door. I need you to move it with your mind._ Irene said, recalling the brief glimpse she’d seen of Jean Grey’s future.

 _I can’t do that,_ Jean insisted, suddenly scared, _I can’t move things with my head._

 _Jean,_ Irene soothed, _I know you’re very scared, I am too, but I also know that you can do this. When I get out of here, I’m going to find some people to come help and rescue you and take you home to your family._

 _Really?_ Jean asked.

 _I promise._ Irene said. She suddenly felt the path dim a little, _Please, we’re running out of time. You have to move the lock._

_How do I do that?_

_Reach out with your mind and feel for the shaft in the door and wall. There’s a little dial that you can turn which will move the shaft. Can you find it?_ Irene instructed.

There was a short moment that felt like an eternity, _I think I’ve got it._

 _Good. I want you to turn the dial. Once it starts turning fast enough, you can let go._ Irene said, pressing against the door in anticipation.

For a minute or two, there was no sound, not even the presence of Jean in her head. Then Irene heard the metallic whirring of the lock dial spinning. There was a clank as the lock disengaged and Irene wasted no time in yanking the door open.

 _Thank you Jean. I promise I’m not abandoning you. I’m going to get help._ Irene thought, hoping that the scared little girl was still listening. She could go back for her. She didn’t have the time. This would only work if she left behind the children already trapped in Shaw’s hell house.

Irene kept a hand on the wall and ran as fast as she dared down the hallway. She knew approximately where she was going, but she didn’t have time to stop for a full vision. She just knew that the universe would somehow provide. She tried to make as little noise as possible, glad that she had no shoes to clank on the stone floors. Her silence was interrupted when she tripped over something, a mop and bucket it felt like and fell to the floor, scraping her hands and knees quite badly. The tap of feet on the floor and the flutter or bug wings told her who had come to investigate.

“Help me.” she whimpered pitifully, “Please, help me.”

Angel Salvador deliberated for a few seconds, unsure of what her course of action should be. Irene saw two paths stretch out, one considerably shorter than the other for her.

A hand on her arm told her all she needed to know, “Come on.” Angel said, “We have to move quickly.”

Irene clung to Angel, letting her lead them through the hallways. Shaw would know in minutes, and Frost would know even sooner, making their window of opportunity very small. Irene only hoped that her glimpse was enough to get them out of here.

A twinge in her mind made her startle, “Stop!” she hissed at her new compatriot, “Wait.”

Angel tugged on her for a minute, trying to get her to move, but stopped when she heard footsteps coming toward them from around the corner of the hall. They both stayed stock still, hardly daring to breathe.

Azazel stopped just short of the corner; he knew there were there. He could hear their shallow breathing and smell their fear.

 _‘You have no loyalty. There’s nothing keeping you here.’_ she’d said to him. His destiny lay somewhere else, according to her. Azazel mulled over her words for a moment longer, then turned and waked back the way he came.

The two girls listened to his receding footsteps, “He’s gone.” Irene said, “We need to go.”

Angel wrapped an arm around her and propelled them forward, her wings fluttering a little to help them along. Irene clung to her, trying to keep up with her quick dancers footsteps.

“This way. I think there’s a car over here.” Angel said, tugging Irene to the left.

Irene felt another twinge and stopped, “No, this way.” she said, pulling in the opposite direction, “Trust me.”

Angel was about to protest, but seemed to think better of it and followed Irene’s lead. They walked around the back of the compound and into the surrounding jungle. It was slow going, but eventually they came to a little-used trail and started following that.

“You know where we’re going?” Angel asked, still holding Irene’s hand.

Irene grinned, “Of course I do.”

 

* * *

 

 

Charles was glaring down at his glass of water and little pile of white pills next to it like they had personally offended him. Erik could see the tense creases on his face, pulling his youthful features into something older, more weathered. He knew why he was sulking, and it was justified, but what Charles did, he did for the best. Erik walked quietly forward, laying his hand on his friend’s shoulder.

“You need to take them.” he said, “It’s for the best.”

Charles didn’t say anything for a long moment, “I suppose it is, isn’t it?”

Erik didn’t have any retort to that, so he stepped around Charles’ chair and sat down in the armchair opposite him. He let the silence hang around them for a while, staring at the man opposite him. Charles continued to glare down at his medications. With a quick movement, he swept them up and gulped them down with the glass of water.

“She was helping us, and I tossed her away.” he mumbled to himself more than to Erik, “I’m such a bastard.”

“You did what you had to.” Erik said, “She was a liability.”

Charles fingered the glass in his hands, turning it over and over, “Sean is going to be devastated. He might leave.” he said.

“Good.” Erik said, “He’s too young to be here. He’s not cut out for this.”

Charles closed his eyes, “And what do you think ‘this’ is exactly?”

Erik considered his words, “The future.” he said.

Charles rubbed his eyes, “Foolish, so damn foolish.” he said. He opened his eyes and glared at Erik, “We’re not recruiting for a war Erik. We’re trying to help mutants, not pick a fight with humans.”

“And you think they’re just going to let us live peacefully?” Erik asked, bristling, “We’re dangerous to them Charles, we’re a threat. They’re not going to let us alone, not until they either eradicate us or control us. Trust me, I’ve seen it.”

“This isn’t nineteen forty five anymore Erik, things have changed. People won’t let that happen.” Charles said.

Erik felt a spark of anger, “You think I didn’t hear that last time?” he growled, “’They wouldn’t do something that horrible.’ ‘It’s only rumors.’ ‘No one could be that cruel.’ I’ve heard it a thousand times Charles. And I believed it right until I saw it with my own eyes.”

Erik clenched his fists, fighting down the memories of the camp. Immediately the smell hit him again, almost making him nauseous; the smell of thousands of unwashed bodies burning after having been starved and abused. Erik could hear the oppressive silence, muting the cacophony of shouting and machinery and screaming. He remembered the dull stab of terror that never left him once the moment he stepped under the gates inscribed ARBEIT MACHT FREI. Erik forced down the bile in his throat, leaving him mouth with a bitter, sickly taste.

“Don’t tell me I’m paranoid. I’ve seen it happen before. Never again.” Erik growled, turning away from Charles and glaring out the window into the dark evening. They sat in the silence for a while.

“I’m sorry.” Charles said eventually, “I know it’s . . . hard for you. But I promise you my friend,” he leaned forward in his chair, even though it must have been hell on his back, “We won’t let it happen again. Not to you or to anyone. Together.”

Charles laid his hand on the little table between them, an offering. Erik stared at it; it was as smooth and pale as the man sitting across from him, resting atop a coffee table that was most likely made of some expensive imported wood. Charles had never done hard days labor in his life, had never needed to. He was wealthy and smart and charming. But Erik couldn’t fault him for it. He would never wish his own sorry excuse for a life on anyone.

Slowly, like he might startle his friend, he reached out and took his hand, squeezing it. It was small and warm in Erik’s own. Looking at the two next to each other, they couldn’t be more different. Erik’s hand was hard and rough with callouses and tiny scars; his pinky was a little crooked after it had been broken and not set properly. His life had been plagued by hardship and loss and suffering, and it had brought him here, to the parlour of this man across from him.

Charles chuckled, “Idealist and Pessimist together in one house. The universe must have a sense of humor.”

Erik raised an eyebrow, “Wandering around in my head Charles?” he asked with a slight grin.

“Sorry, you looked so thoughtful and serious that I had to take a peek.” Charles said.

Erik shook his head, “Never apologise for your gifts Charles. You should use them to your fullest capacity.”

Charles laughed, “I can see why Raven was so taken with you.”

They sat in silence for a long moment, Charles just looking at Erik and Erik looking back. Erik was suddenly overcome with the guilt he’d been bottling up.

“I’m sorry.” Erik said, voice almost a whisper, “For what I did.”

Charles rubbed his knee with his other hand, “It wasn’t your fault.” he said, “Just bad aim and me getting in the way.”

“It was more than that.” Erik said. He’d been about to destroy the people who’d attempted to obliterate them, but Charles, bleeding heart Charles, couldn’t let that happen. If Erik hadn’t been so hell bent on getting his own way-

Charles sighed, “I know it was more than that, but I said things I shouldn’t have.” he said, “I wasn’t exactly helpful. I should have known better than to say what I did.”

_They’re just following orders._

Erik closed his eyes. When he opened them, he smiled a little at Charles, “It was a pretty stupid thing to say.”

Charles huffed out a laugh, “Well see if I try and make you feel better again.”

Erik smiled a little. He noticed their hands were still together, clasped tightly together like they were both afraid to let go. Erik glanced into Charles’ bright blue eyes, big and honest and boring right back into Erik’s own. They stayed that way for a while, looking into one another’s eyes, their hands clenched together in desperation. Outside the sky continued to darken, casting the room into shadow; there was no sound aside from their steady breathing.

“Professor?”

Erik and Charles started apart, leaning back in their respective chairs, hands breaking contact. Alex stood in the doorway of the parlour, watching them with a critical eye.

“Yes Alex? What did you need?” Charles asked, clearing his throat a little.

“Hank says that he’s finished up some tweaks to Cerebro, if you wanted to take another stab at it tonight.” Alex said, still watching them closely.

“Thank you Alex, I’ll be right there.” Charles said. He straightened up in his chair and rubbed his eyes again. He too one last glance at Erik before wheeling himself toward the door. Erik stayed still for a moment, then followed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *whispers* cherrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiik


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whomp, guess who's back? Finals and essays are all done, so now I have plenty of time to write. Especially since my job is in the toilet and I'm sinking into a pit of poverty and despair. Speaking of, I've opened up commissions for fanfic! (or OCfic, but that's extra) Check out my tumblr post http://candysweetcyanide.tumblr.com/post/103311948163/fic-commissions for more info. Or to just reblog the post and get the message out there. Help me out people, I'm poor and desperate!

“Oh, I wasn’t expecting everyone.” Hank said, shrinking back a little as Charles, Erik, and Alex piled out of the elevator.

“They’ll behave.” Charles promised, smiling at Hank as he wheeled himself down the hallway towards Cerebro, “Don’t worry so much, Hank.”

Hank shifted on his feet for a moment before falling into step next to the Professor, deliberately not looking at Alex or Erik. Alex raised an eyebrow, but kept to himself for now. Hank seemed to need space, so he wasn’t going to push.

They stopped outside the circular door and Hank leaned forward to open it, “I’m working on a retinal scan lock.” he said, “So only you can open it.”

“Marvelous idea Hank. We wouldn’t want any other telepaths getting their hands on Cerebro.” Charles said, wheeling forward once the door swung open. He stopped, “Why don’t you and Alex wait out here? The mainframe for Cerebro goes down another hallway, so if something needs tweaking you can just run out. Erik can be a go between.”

“Oh uh, okay.” Hank said, shuffling away from Alex nervously, “We’ll wait here.”

Charles smiled reassuringly and continued inside with Erik. Hank watched the door close, trying not to fidget nervously next to the other teen. Alex crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, watching the door. The silence stretched out between them; Hank found it awkward but Alex didn’t seem to notice. The furry mutant wished he could have the same laser focus; it would certainly help him forget about the face that looked back at him in the mirror now.

The minutes passed and Hank couldn’t bare it any longer, “So why did you come down?” he asked, trying to sound casual.

Alex glanced over, “You know they’ve got my brother, right?” he said, sounding a little annoyed.

“Right.” Hank said, “I heard about that.”

Alex shifted, “I’m going to find him and kill Shaw.” he hissed, sounding every bit like he meant it.

“Careful, you’re starting to sound like Erik.” Hank joked before he could stop himself. Alex looked up at him a grinned a little.

“So there is still some of the old Hank in there, good to know.” he said.

Hank’s hackles rose, “What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked.

Alex shrugged, “You’ve been in a mope since the beach man. We hardly see you now, you’re always down here.”

“I’m working.” Hank said.

“Yeah, right. And you won’t look me in the eyes because—?” Alex trailed off.

Hank’s gaze jerked up to stare directly into Alex’s eyes, but quickly glanced away. Alex sighed and moved off the wall, coming over to lean on the opposite wall, next to Hank.

“What’s the deal man?” Alex asked, sounding concerned, “What’s going on?”

“Like you don’t know.” Hank growled, sounding more beastly than he’d intended, “Look at what happened to me.”

Alex looked Hank up and down, “Yeah, I guess it’s pretty major, but you’re still you, right? That didn’t change.”

“No.” Hank answered in a smaller voice, “I’m still me.”

“So, that means you’re still a bozo.” Alex said, nudging Hank with his elbow, “We miss you. Darwin wants his nerd friend back.”

Hank looked over at Alex, “It’s really not that simple.” he said.

“So simplify it. Figure out the issue and work on that.” Alex said.

“Figure out the issue and work on that?” Hank repeated, raising a furry eyebrow at Alex, incredulous.

Alex shrugged, “Works for me.” he said, “You should talk to Darwin, he’s great with the self-help junk.”

“And you would know all about that, would you?” Hank teased.

Alex stiffened, bolting up straight from his relaxed position, “What’s that supposed to mean?” he snapped.

Hank shrank back a little, “Nothing geez. Calm down.” he said, “I was only teasing you.”

Alex stayed tense for a moment, then stiffly went back to his previous position, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Hank wondered for a second, but left it alone.

“It’s not just about me being different.” Hank said finally, looking down at his giant, furry blue hands, “It’s just . . . _different_.”

“Different as in ‘still getting used to your own body’ different?” Alex asked, looking up.

“Sort of. I mean, I always had to hide, but not like this. I could still see my face in the mirror and see it as me. I could go out in public without people running and screaming.”

“So are we not counting the ladies, or what?” Alex jabbed, grinning. Hank elbowed him.

“Jackass.” he growled, “It’s just a big adjustment. I can hardly look at myself in the mirror.”

“Rough.” Alex said, “Why don’t you talk to Mystique about it? She seems like she might have an idea what that’s like.”

Hank scoffed, “Not likely. She’s all ‘mutant and proud’ now, walking around with barely any clothes on all on display.”

“No complaints from me.” Alex said with a non-committal shrug, “She seems happy in her body, which is probably good for her, being a shape shifter and all.”

“Yeah.” Hank growled, “Whatever.”

Alex glanced over at his friend; he reached out and laid a hand on his shoulder, “Hey man, it’s okay. We don’t think any differently of you.” he said, “You just made a mistake. A science mistake that you’ll figure out how to fix like a proper nerd.”

Hank looked over at him, “You think so?” he asked.

Alex grinned, shrugging again, “It’s what nerds do. Didn’t the Wright brothers screw up like a dozen times before they figured out how to fly?”

“The Wright brothers were engineers mostly.” Hank said, then he smiled, “But thanks. For trying.”

Alex smiled, “All you can do is try and hope for the best.” he said.

“That’s oddly poetic for you.” Hank said, grinning.

“Hey man, Darwin’s the one who likes to rattle that crap off, I pick it up from him.” Alex said, laughing.

Hank chuckled, “I have missed talking with him. He’s a good conversationalist.” he said.

“He misses you too.” Alex said, “Misses his nerd buddy.”

“Whatever.” Hank said, playfully shoving at Alex. He stumbled back from the unexpected force, slamming into the wall with more force than Hank had intended.

“Ow.” he said, rubbing his shoulder where he’d crashed into the wall.

“I’m so sorry!” Hank blurted, embarrassed and ashamed, “I didn’t mean— I’m still getting used to my own strength. I’m so sorry!”

“Dude, chill.” Alex said, “It didn’t even hurt that much. I’ve had much worse.”

Hank didn’t seem comforted at all; Alex rolled his eyes, “Hank, I’m fine. You never rough housed before? It can get out of hand sometimes.”

Hank crossed his arms, tucking his hands between his ribs and biceps, like he was afraid they would start swinging around and smacking people on their own, “I never liked to rough house.” he said quietly.

“Figures. Bet you were that shy little dorkus who always had his nose buried in a book.” Alex said, “People were probably trying to stuff you in lockers.”

Hank smiled a little, “It never worked, I was too tall.” he said.

Alex laughed, “Now that I really can see!” he said, “A scrawny kid you with his damn spider limbs sticking out of a locker like a messed up art installation.”

Hank chuckled as well, “That’s pretty much it.” he said, “You’re right about the books though. I never really had any friends, so I spent most of my time in the library.”

Alex looked over, “Well, things change.” he said, “You’ve got us now.”

Hank paused a little. He smiled at the blond teen, “Thank you.” he said.

Alex patted his shoulder and returned to his vigil against the wall. The silence returned, but it was less uncomfortable than before.

“We’ll find your brother.” Hank promised, “We won’t allow for anything else.”

Alex didn’t say anything for a moment, “Thanks.” he said quietly.

 

* * *

 

 

“You think it’s wise to leave Hank outside with Alex?” Erik asked after the first few minutes of fruitless telepathic searching, “They’re both a little high strung right now.”

“Which is precisely why they need to restore their friendship.” Charles said, concentration not wavering for a moment, “Hank’s been cooped up down here for too long, and Alex made himself available. Besides, Alex has a knack for knowing what to say without getting too ‘heavy’.”

“I suppose. I could have talked to Hank you know.” Erik offered.

Charles scoffed, “I doubt he’d respond well to your ‘mutant and proud’ stance. He tried to choke you, remember?”

“Yes.” Erik said, reaching up to rub his throat absently, “He’s quite strong.”

Charles smiled a little and went back to his work. Sifting through the millions of minds he could reach was exhilarating, but anything more than a glance could exhaust him pretty quickly. He’d abandoned his search for Shaw directly, and was focussing on the children, starting with family and friends. So far he wasn’t yielding much, but it was a start.

_Professor Xavier_

Charles startled so badly he nearly toppled the clunky helmet off of his head (he needed to ask Hank to make the whole thing a little more streamlined. He reached out with his mind, trying to find the voice that had called to him so sharply.

_Hello? Who’s there._

_Irene Adler._

Charles heart sped up; he looked back at Erik, who had an expression of elation mixed with surprise (as elated as Erik could probably look anyway). Cerebro was amplifying the projected thoughts so anyone in the room could hear them. Fascinating.

_Where are you?_

_Philippines I think. We’re travelling._

_We?_

_Angel and I._

Charles looked back at Erik again. His face had hardened into something unreadable; he’d understood Angel’s decision to leave when the others had elaborated on that night when they’d nearly lost Darwin. However, he didn’t exactly condone being on Shaw’s side, understandable or not.

 _What happened?_ Charles asked.

_We escaped Shaw. One of the children helped me. She’s going to be amazing one day._

Charles couldn’t help but smile at that, _I suppose you would know._

_Something to that effect. I was wrong, we’re in Thailand. We won’t be safe for long with Shaw tracking us. Azazel won’t let us go a second time._

_Where are you? We’ll come get you._ Charles said. They didn’t have the Blackbird anymore, but one of the first things that Charles had gotten once the dust had settled was a private plane.

Irene gave him a rough estimate of where she was, and Charles confirmed it with Cerebro, _Hurry, we can only run and hide for so long._

 _We’ll get you. I promise._ Charles said, then dropped the connection. He powered down Cerebro and spun his wheelchair around, “Get the plane prepped, we need to move.”

Erik nodded and took off running, they didn’t have much time.

“What’s happening?” Alex asked, seeing the expression on Erik’s face, “Did you find them?”

“Go suit up, we have to get to Thailand.” Erik said, “Tell the others. Hank, that means you too.”

Hank looked like he might protest for a second, but he nodded and fell into stride with Erik to go and get the plane ready.

Whatever came next, they had to be fast, because God help them if Shaw got to them first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Crafty Charles is crafty. Yeah I know we skipped a bit on the reactions to Moira's being abandoned, but we're getting to that, I promise. And yay for non-judgmental friends!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's done with exams! This bitch!

“Did we lose them?” Angel asked, shaking beside her newfound fugitive companion.

Irene took a moment to become more aware of her ‘surroundings’, “We’re safe for now. I’ve contacted Xavier.”

“What? How?” Angel asked, looking incredulous and suspicious all at once (not that Irene could see it).

“He’s a telepath, he was using that amplifier thingy.” Irene said, “I don’t know the word in English.”

“Cerebro.” Angel offers, “So he’s coming for us?” she asked, suddenly quiet.

“Yes. He’ll help us.” Irene said, stressing the _us_. She had only seen glimpses so far, but she knew that Charles Xavier was not the sort of man to simply leave anyone helpless and stranded with murderous, genocidal maniacs on their tail.

Erik Lehnsherr might, but that was thirty-seventy at best.

“Maybe I should—“ Angel started to say. Irene reached out quickly and grabbed her arm.

“If you do, we’re both dead.” she said, “We need each other. We need to be each other’s eyes.”

Angel looked surprised, but she nodded. They hunkered down in the back of the rattling jeep they’d taken cover in. The toothless man driving it either hadn’t noticed, or didn’t care about strange, ragged women hitching a ride into town with him. They’d passed a small village already, but it looked like they were on their way to a bigger town, which meant more places to hide. Irene’s sightless eyes searched her spider web of futures and choices and tried to pick out how to get to one that didn’t wind up with everyone dead.

They rattled into a large town, this one looking like it might actually have someone who spoke English and a working phone. Thailand was probably a marvelous place, but it would be more impressive if they weren’t stuck out in the backwaters of the countryside.

“We can get off here.” Angel said, “It looks like there could be a bus stop or something.”

“You’ve got money?” Irene asked.

Angel grinned and pulled a bulging billfold from her bra and pressed it to Irene’s hand, “Stripper trick, always have cash tucked somewhere.”

“Brilliant.” Irene said, feeling the multitude of bills, “Is the currency good here?”

“It’s American, I think they’ll take it.” Angel said, “If not I think they’ll be a place we can exchange, and I’ve got some Thai baht tucked away.”

“Smart girl.” Irene said, smiling, “You’re going to have to help me land, but I can tell us when to jump.”

“Um, or I could just—“ Angel said as she hooked her arm around Irene and fluttered them out of the jeep and gently onto the side of the road, “Do that.”

“Right.” Irene said, a little embarrassed, “Anyway, we’re out of Frost’s range by now. Let’s head into town and find someone who speaks English. Or Austrian dialect German.”

“Or Spanish.” Angel offered.

Irene smiled and took her hand as they walked into town. It was apparently a dry season, because by the time they made it, they were both covered in road dust. Irene directed them to a decrepit building halfway into town. There was a similarly dusty old bus sitting in the parking lot, one corner propped up with cinderblocks, so Angel assumed it was some kind of bus depot.

“Excuse me!” Irene called as they walked in, “Bus to the city?”

The man behind the counter, hardly visible through the scratched glass, peered at them suspiciously, “Tomorrow, bus come.” he said sharply, “No more bus today.”

Irene grumbled, “Phone?” she pressed.

“Not for customer.” he snapped, “Bus come tomorrow.”

“What now?” Angel hissed at her. They couldn’t risk staying in one place for too long. They had to keep moving or risk getting caught.

Irene dithered for a moment, “We’ll hitch a ride, like the jeep.” she whispered back. They turned and left the depot, the man side-eyeing them so hard it looked like he had a facial twitch.

They walked through the town, sticking close together. A few people looked at them oddly, but no one bothered them aside from street vendors and street urchins with grabby little hands. They stopped for a moment to purchase some fruit (American currency seemed to go over well), and continued on.

“Do we know which road heads toward the city?” Angel asked, munching hungrily.

“It’s in this direction.” Irene said. She perked up, like she had just remembered something, “Xavier will be here by morning, we can find shelter until then.”

“How do you—? Right, never mind.” Angel said, pressing one of the fruits to Irene’s hand.

Irene grinned as she ate, “It helps to know what’s going to happen in the future.”

Angel chuckled, “I’ll bet.” she said, but she couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Her companion’s power had been what had lured Shaw to her in the first place.

“We should stay in town, where there are more people. It’s harder to pick out one mind from a crowd.” Irene said, “At least I hope it is. I don’t know everything.”

“There’s probably an alleyway that we can use somewhere. Otherwise we can just walk around until morning.” Angel didn’t think she would be able to sleep tonight anyway.

They kept walking, Irene’s hand tucked into Angel’s arm to keep her from crashing around, eating sun-warmed fruit and watching (each in their own way) for danger. They were both as tense as bowstrings, ready to fight or run the moment they spotted danger. There were no immediate signs that they were being followed; no clouds of sulfurous smoke, no whirlwinds from nowhere, and no catastrophic explosions. A few locals looked at them oddly, but most kept to their own business. Angel nearly spat a fireball on one man who attempted to accost them, eyeing them hungrily and slathering after them like a dog, obviously trying to proposition them. Angel shouted something in Spanish and shoved her way past him aggressively.

As the evening cooled into night, the people milling about in the street become fewer and fewer, disappearing into their homes. The merchants pack up their wares and goods, shutting up shop for the day. Aside from a few drunks and prowlers, Angel and Irene are alone by the time the sun goes down.

“This way.” Irene insisted, tugging Angel down a dark alleyway. They both stumbled a little in the dark, but Irene seemed to know where she’s going.

“Where are we going?” Angel asked, glancing around them warily; it’s a long, narrow alley with little lighting, perfect for being jumped.

“Trust me, we’re nearly there.” Irene said. They stopped behind what appeared to be a house, “Give me some money.” she demanded.

“What? Why?” Angel asked. She had always been a little protective of her cash; it was hard to let any go when you weren’t sure when you could get more.

“Just give me some.” Irene insisted, “Trust me.” she repeated.

Angel gave her a suspicious look, but pulled some bills out of her bra and handed them over. Irene took them and ran to the back of the house, knocking on the door. She clasped her hands together like she was praying, or begging, the bills tucked between them, poking out from her fingers. Angel got the idea did the same with her hands, sans money.

The door opened and an elderly lady peered out. Angel and Irene did their best to look innocent and desperate. Irene held out the small pile of cash as an offering, smiling hopefully. The lady eyed them for a long moment before she sighed and stepped aside in the doorway, inviting them inside. The young women scrambled inside, Irene pressing the bills into the elderly lady’s weathered hands. The lady shook her head and muttered something, tucking the money into a pocket in her apron and shooing them inside the house.

They were directed to a small kitchen and pushed into a corner with a scruffy looking dog, next to the warm oven. The lady bustled about the kitchen, muttering to herself in what must have been Thai. She produced two crusts of bread and something that looked like rice porridge. Irene and Angel gratefully took the offered food and sat in the corner, eating silently. The lady disappeared for a moment and reappeared with some blankets. She set them next to the two younger women and went to sit in the opposite corner, still muttering as she picked up her sewing.

“We’ll be safe here for the night?” Angel asked quietly, once they had finished their meal.

“For tonight. We should be gone at sunrise, before she wakes up. We’ll catch a truck or something out of town as soon as we can.” Irene said, “Xavier will find us.” she sounded so certain that Angel didn’t doubt her for a moment.

They spent the night curled up next to the oven, blankets tucked around them in a sort of nest. Angel hardly slept, but the chance to rest was nice. Irene always knew when it was safe to sleep, so she managed to get a few hours in. Just before the sun rose, they got up and folded the blankets neatly, leaving them in the corner. They slipped out the back door and walked out into the morning.

There were fewer prowlers in the dewy morning light, but they kept their steps hurried. Irene found them a spot by the road to hide while they waited for vehicles to trundle past.

“We’ll catch it out for a few miles, then we’ll find Xavier.” Irene said, her back to the road.

“How will we find him?” Angel asked, raising an eyebrow.

Irene shrugged, “Not sure, but we will.” she said.

Angel muttered something in Spanish, sounding irate. But Irene hadn’t led her astray so far, so she was going to trust her, “Something’s coming.” she said, glancing over the side of the ditch.

“Not this one.” Irene said, “Next one I think.”

Angel nodded and hunkered back down. It was a good thing she was so used to flying by the seat of her ass, otherwise this might have driven her crazy.

The next vehicle came up the road; a large truck with a canvas cover. Angel flew them into the back, huddling down behind some crates and pulling a tarp over them to hide themselves from view.

“So how are we gonna find Xavier?” Angel tried again, hoping for better results this time.

Irene let out a hum and settled in, concentrating. They had a little bit of time now for her to work out the parts of the future she wanted but wasn’t clear on. The spider web unraveled before her eyes as she picked through it delicately.

“Still not clear, give me a few minutes.” Irene said. She got comfortable and let herself be pulled into a vision.

Angel watched her for a few moments, but this was obviously a ‘silent’ vision, so she settled down to wait it out.

They stayed that way for a while, not making any noise as they were jostled around the back of the truck. Angel closed her eyes and tried not to think about how she would soon come face to face with the people she betrayed. She’d hardly known any of them; they’d all only met for that one night more or less. She’d liked Raven the most, the two of them pulled together in a female comradery, and she’d sensed that Raven was more sympathetic to what had driven her to Shaw in the first place; the way those men had looked at her, the way they had simple sold them out to Shaw without hesitation, it had hurt so much.

So she’d gone to Shaw, who had been honey sweet and charming enough to almost convince her for a minute that this time it could be different, this time she wouldn’t be abandoned. She’d nearly convinced herself that Shaw wouldn’t be like her father, or her first boyfriend, or her pimp, or any of the other men who’d simply left her in the lurch when she was no longer of any use to them.

But he hadn’t, he’d been just as manipulative an abusive as any of the others. He’d cast her aside as soon as Emma was back, but watching him with her was like looking into the past. He was the same as so many lovers and pimps, and she was better off now that she was rid of him.

Unless he managed to find her and kill her.

Angel was snapped out of her revere when Irene grabbed her wrist tight enough to hurt, “Move.” she hissed.

“What—?”

“Move!” Irene shoved her to the side as a concussive ‘bamf’ rang out above them. A long blade sliced through the tarp where Angel had just been lying, narrowly missing Irene by centimeters. Angel threw off the tarp to look into the devilish face of Azazel; he grinned down at her.

“Shouldn’t have been thinking so loud, princess.” he purred. He slashed out again as Angel spat a fireball into his face. He let out a pained yelp and scrambled backwards, giving Angel enough time to grab Irene and take flight, out of the back of the car and into the jungle.

They didn’t get far; with the added weight and the thickness of the jungle, it was hard to get anywhere. At the very least, they were hard to follow. Even Azazel would have trouble teleporting safely through this thicket, and Riptide’s whirlwinds would be useless in these trees.

Irene began to struggle, “Angel! Stop!” she shouted. Angel barely had time to process what she was saying before they tumbled into a huge clearing. Whirlwind, Frost, and Shaw were waiting for them.

It was a trap.

Shaw grinned and spread his arms as if to welcome them, “Well girls, this has certainly been fun, but I think it’s time we wrapped up this little field trip.” he called to them, sounding way too calm for a man who was furious.

Angel hated it when furious men sounded calm; it meant they were going to kill you.

“Come on Angel, we don’t have to get messy. We can all just go home and talk about this little . . . divergence.” Shaw called, walking slowly forward, the picture of dignity, even in the dusty field. Angel fought the urge to step back.

“Nothing to talk about, _cabron_.” Angel spat, heart hammering. She had no idea where this bravado was coming from.

Shaw’s face pinched a little, “Angel, that’s no way to talk to your superior. You wouldn’t talk to your father that way, would you?”

“I’d have a lot more to say than that to him.” Angel hissed.

There was no way to go but back into the jungle behind them, but the smell of sulfur and a ‘bamf’ ruled that out. They could try fighting, but Irene’s powers weren’t exactly combat friendly, and Angel wasn’t strong enough to face all of them on her own. Nothing short of divine intervention would get them out of this.

They were going to die.

 _If I’m going to die, I’m going to die fighting._ she thought to herself. There was no way she was going to cower in a corner and beg, not this time.

 _No one has to die here, darling._ came that icy voice in her head, _If you come back now, Shaw might be lenient on you._

 _Is he ever lenient on you?_ Angel fired back. There was no answer for a moment.

 _He’ll kill you._ Frost said, _If you come back, you’ll live._

 _I’d rather be dead._ Angel said, _No more cowering under men. I’m better than that._

Angel could practically feel Frost’s mind against hers, cold and sharp and unforgiving. However, for a fraction of a moment, Angel thought she could feel the other woman’s desire to join them, and then nothing. The connection just seemed to drop, like a cut wire.

_It looks like we got here just in time._

Xavier. Thank God.

The screech of metal caused Shaw and the other two to jump backwards as a mangled chunk of machinery (which looked like it had possibly been a car or truck at some point) careened to the ground just inches from where they’d been standing. Angel twisted around to see the ‘team’ she’d left behind rise out of the jungle, already on the offensive.

 _Angel, bring Irene back to the road, we’ll get you two out of here as fast as we can._ Xavier instructed telepathically, his mind warm and soothing in comparison to Frosts’.

 _What about Shaw?_   Angel asked, twisting and grabbing hold of Irene, who clung to her tightly as they flew through the jungle, away from the battle in the clearing.

 _Erik and the others will take care of it for now._ Xavier said, _If all goes well, we might—_

 _Call them back. They won’t win this one._ Irene cut in suddenly, _We’ll all die if they try and take out Shaw now._

There was silence in Angel’s head after that, or rather the absence of the others voices. She tried to concentrate on getting the two of them to safety, dodging around trees; above her she heard the unholy shrieking of Sean (Banshee, she remembered) as he flew over the canopy of vegetation.

_Angel, look out!_

Angel had just enough warning to swerve to avoid Azazel bamfing up next to her, swinging one of his deadly blades. It grazed Irene’s side ever so slightly, but a mass of blue fur crashed into the red mutant before any more damage could be done. Angel put on a burst of speed, nearly toppling over when she finally burst back onto the road. A large, military looking vehicle was waiting for them, Xavier leaning out of it.

“Hurry!” he shouted, waving them closer.

Angel all but dragged Irene into the behemoth vehicle, its tires spitting up dust and gravel as it leapt forward; the same mass of blue fur from before hit the side just as they sped around a bend in the road. Hank crawled through the passenger side window and righted himself so he was sitting up.

“We’ve got maybe six seconds before Shaw kills us all.” he said, shouting over the screech of Banshee above them, the wind in their ears, and the crunch of the road under the tires.

Xavier had his fingers to his temple, lips moving soundlessly as he seemed to plead with someone. Angel remembered vaguely that Erik in particular had a personal vendetta against Shaw, and wondered if he was trying to get his revenge now.

Angel wasn’t sure if she should root for Erik to kill Shaw once and for good, or root for Shaw to kill Erik so she wouldn’t have that mans’ wrath turned on her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you tell how much I don't like writing fight scenes? Because I don't like writing fight scenes. Anyway, I'll try to have the next chapter out soonish, I just started a new job and also I've got some ideas that need to be worked out.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The POV jumps around a little in this chapter, but I think it's easy enough to keep track. If I get any complaints about it, I'll see if I can edit it.
> 
> Trigger warning for past abusive relationships.

Erik growled through his teeth as he hurled shards of metal at his target. He was getting better, but Shaw still wasn’t going down. If he could just kill his man—

 _Erik we have to go,_ came Charles’ voice in his head.

 _I can finish it,_ Erik insisted, _I can end him._

 _No, you’re going to get killed. We need you here to protect us until we get to the plane._ Charles insisted.

_If I can just get a clear shot—_

_Erik! There are other lives at stake here! Don’t let those children suffer because you’re too wrapped up in your own vengeance!_

The words stung like a slap in the face, largely because they were true. With one final glance at Shaw, who was batting aside his attempts like they were nothing but tissue paper, he floated himself back into the jungle. After blasting up some dust for cover, Alex joined him, running through the woods as fast as he could, Darwin on his heels. Erik noticed that they’d grabbed hands at one point, but didn’t think much of it; they probably didn’t want to get separated. Plus, Alex had just as much reason as Erik to want to turn back and take a chunk out of Shaw himself. The hand of his friend in his probably helped ground him.

As soon as they cleared the forest, Erik grabbed hold of the other two and lifted all three of them into the air, chasing after the vehicle they’d ‘commandeered’ from a military where they’d parked their plane. It was a little difficult to maneuver all three of them, but he finally caught up with the car and dropped them into the back.

“Are they following?” Mystique asked from the drivers’ seat.

“I’m not sure, I don’t see them.” Darwin shouted back, looking out of the back of the car.

“I knocked out the teleporter, they can’t follow us unless they have a car of their own.” Hank said.

“Frost is trying to get at us.” Charles said, fingers at his temples, trying to block the other telepath to the best of his abilities. He was more powerful than she was, but she was more experienced in using her powers offensively. It could go either way if one of them slipped up for even a moment.

Erik reached over and laid a hand on Charles’ shoulder, as though to lend him some of his power, though he knew it didn’t work that way. He wanted to go back and finish Shaw off, but seeing the two terrified girls in the vehicle, he knew he was of better use here.

For now.

Erik kept a look out for any of Shaw’s flunkies, but knowing that only the teleporter would be able to catch up to them at this point. If Hank had done a good job, they were probably in the clear for now. Still he kept a wary eye trained on the scenery rushing past them. Charles seemed to get less and less strained as they moved farther away, out of Frosts’ range. It seemed like they were going to get away for the time being.

Erik spared a glance back at their two new additions. Well, one new addition and an old addition. The newcomer, Irene, he recalled, stared blankly forward, blind eyes seeming to stare off into space (perhaps she was having a vision? Or maybe she just looked like that regularly). Angel, on the other hand, kept her eyes downcast deliberately, not meeting anyone’s gaze. So she still felt guilty for betraying them; good, she might be more inclined to share Shaw’s plans with them if she felt she owed them something.

As they neared the larger city, they all relaxed a little. Hank crawled into the back of the vehicle, pulling a blanket over him to hide his massive blue form. Sean took his chance and clambered into the front, nearly clipping Charles in the shoulder with his foot. Charles finally took his hand away from his temple.

“We’re in the clear for now, I don’t think Frost knows where we’re headed. So long as we keep moving right to the plane, we should be fine.” Charles said, turning to take a look at each of them, mentally taking in any scrapes or bruises they had sustained.

“Shaw won’t come for us, not now.” Irene suddenly said, “He’s going to pack up his operation and move. I’m not sure where yet.”

They all watched her for a moment, “Of course.” Charles said; he leaned over and took her hand in his, “Are you alright? Are you hurt?”

Irene smiled at him, “I’ll be alright.” she said, “I’ll be a little shaken once it all settles in, but for now I’m okay. I’m not hurt.”

Charles looked beseechingly at her, but quickly realized that it wouldn’t work on her and just squeezed her hand. She smiled and squeezed back; Frost had done a number on her, but in time she would overcome it, this much she knew. Not because of her gift, but because she knew the kind of person she was.

They were quiet and tense for the rest of the ride through the city, avoiding main roads and crowded areas. They finally made it back to the military base they’d left the plane at, leaving it up to Charles to bamboozle their way through again, messing with the minds of the humans milling about. Quietly, and without much more hassle, they refuelled the plane and left Thailand behind.

Angel heaved out a sigh as they finally took off. She settled into a chair, hoping to get comfortable, but quickly realized that she wouldn’t be able to. Not because of the seating— it was as comfortable as plane seating ever was— but because of the eyes all watching her like a poisonous snake. Sean and Darwin and Hank and even Mystique were at least polite enough to avert their eyes as soon as she looked up, but Alex just stared right at her.

“Got something to say to me?” she growled, bristling a little. She knew that he had every right to be mad, but she wasn’t about to take his shit lying down.

Alex sneered, “I think you’re the one who has something to say, to everyone.”

Angel crossed her arms defensively, “Hey, I made a bad choice, but it doesn’t mean that I didn’t have my reasons.” she said.

The blonde teen clenched his fists and stood, tense as a bowstring, “You’re ‘bad choice’ cost the Professor his legs! Shaw kidnapped my little brother! And you helped you little—!”

“Alex, that’s enough.” Erik said sternly, “You can have you’re confrontation when we’re not flying in a metal tube a thousand feet in the air.” he really would like to avoid crashing to a fiery death.

Alex growled and shot one last look of hatred at Angel before twisting to sit down next to Darwin, who put a hand on his back in comfort, only to be shrugged off. Darwin seemed slightly offended and hurt for a moment, then regained his composure and sat back, never far enough out of Alex’s reach, should he need comfort.

Angel huffed and took to staring out the window in the back of the plane. She decided that she would part ways with them as soon as they landed in the US. She didn’t need them, and they certainly didn’t want her around. Maybe she’d actually start travelling, like she’d always dreamed of doing. Maybe she’d go to Europe; she’d always wanted to see the Netherlands.

 _Don’t be so hard on yourself. Your reasons for siding with Shaw are misguided, but legitimate._ came a voice in her head, _Sorry for the intrusion by the way, but you were practically screaming, and you looked like you could use someone to talk to._

Angel smiled a little, _It’s okay Professor._ she said, _You’re a lot nicer than Frost ever was, and yeah, I guess it’d be nice to have someone to talk to who won’t jump down my throat without letting me get a sentence in first._

 _I promise to be as unbiased as possible._ If it was possible to feel a telepathic smile, Angel was sure Xavier was beaming; a quick glance in his direction told her that his face was outwardly neutral, but she could read the smile in his eyes. _Why did you go with Shaw?_ he asked.

Angel resisted the urge to sigh, _At the time, I thought it was because he was offering me the chance to be a Queen, to finally get out from being under someone’s boot heel. But it was the same old story again. Just me jumping from abuser to abuser to another fucking abuser._ she fought the urge to scowl, _I should have recognised it by then. I should have known he was just like the rest._

 _Getting away from an abusive past is never easy, Angel. Trust me._ Charles said to her on a wave of sympathy and empathy, _We seek the familiar, even if that familiar is bad for us._

_But your legs . . . you might not have lost them if I stayed—_

_Don’t you go thinking like that._ Charles said sternly, _We can never know anything for sure, and we can’t know that I would have lost my legs or my life or anything if you were on our side when we confronted Shaw. These sorts of things just happen. Besides, you saved Darwin from getting blown to bits, I’m sure that affected the outcome at least a little._

Angel smiled, glancing over at Darwin, who was still with Alex, _Yeah, I guess._ she thought, more to herself than to Charles, _Still, I don’t think I’m welcome with you anymore. I’ll go when we touch down._

 _There’s no need for that my dear. Stay a day or two and try to mend as much as you can. It never does any good to run as soon as things get too difficult._ Charles persuaded, _I can mediate if things get out of hand._

 _Thank you, Professor._ Angel said, smiling softly, _That means a lot to me._

Angel felt another ‘smile’ in her mind and a comforting presence before it receded gently, leaving her to her thoughts. She settled back into her seat and closed her eyes, hoping she looked asleep enough for no one to bother her.

“So why’d you do it?”

Angel cracked open an eye to see Sean sitting across from her, looking confused and a little sad (like a kicked puppy). At least he didn’t look angry; just curious. She glanced around at the others, none of them seemed to be paying attention to them. In fact they were deliberately ‘ignoring’ her, save for Alex, who kept shooting her heated glares.

Angel sighed, “I explained most of it when I first left, okay?” she said, “I hated being looked at like a freak.”

Sean winced a little, “Yeah I guess.” he said, “But Shaw had just murdered those guys. We saw him do it. Why go with a guy like that?”

Angel grumbled and sat back in her seat, folding her arms again, “It’s nothing I’d never seen before.” she said quietly, “Just buzz off.” she hissed, turning away from him.

Sean looked like he wanted to say more, but a hand came down on his shoulder, stopping him. He looked up into Mystique’s human face and nodded in understanding. He wasn’t the best person to talk to Angel about this; he at least was smart enough to know that part.

Mystique took Sean’s place on the seat, saying nothing and just looking out the window. Angel glanced over for a second, but still said nothing. They must have stayed like that for over an hour, long enough for Angel to relax a little.

“I know what you felt okay.” Mystique said at last, when it became clear that Angel wasn’t going to start, “At least the part about being looked at like a freak.”

Angel looked over, looking the blonde and beautiful woman up and down, “Sure.” she said.

Mystique raised an eyebrow and shifted to her natural form, “This is what I look like normally.” she said, “Guess you didn’t get a good look when we fought.”

Angel blinked, “Not really.” she murmured. She’d been mostly in the air that day, she hadn’t really gotten a look at Mystique.

Mystique settled back into her chair, her scales glinting a little in the light, “I know what it’s like to be looked at like you’re a monster. I know what it feels like to be an outcast.” she said. She reached over and laid her hand on Angel’s knee, “It’s okay.” she said.

Angel felt three feet tall, “I messed up.” she said softly, “I just . . . I couldn’t _stand_ it. The way they looked at me like I was some kind of _monster_. I’ve been taking my clothes off for strangers for a long time, and at least they look at you like you’re _desirable_. Those guys just looked at me like I was nothing.” she said, all of it spilling out in a rush.

Mystique nodded, her yellow eyes bleeding empathy and understanding, “I know. And the way that guy tried to sell us out . . .” she trailed off, “I was almost tempted myself.” she said.

Angel resisted the urge to lay her head on Mystique’s lap and just cry, “Yeah.” she said softly, “I just hated the look on their faces so much. It was like looking at my Papa all over again.”

“Oh my, daddy issues. Now this is something I’m actually quite familiar with.” Mystique said with a small, hollow laugh. When Angel raised an eyebrow, she shrugged, “I didn’t exactly have a good childhood either.”

Angel waited patiently for her to continue; she’d spilled enough about herself, it was Mystiques’ turn, “I’m not Charles’ real sister. He found me when I was little; took me in, took care of me, gave me a home.” she said, looking a little far off, “But his stepfather, Kurt, was an asshole. An abusive asshole, and his mother was too busy swimming at the bottom of a bottle to notice. Charles kept me from most of it, but Cain, his stepbrother, had a thing for pushing me around.” she looked a little fierce as she spoke more about it, “Not after I floored him one day, but he hated me even more after that. Tattled to his daddy who threatened to kick me out like ‘the ungrateful little leech’ I was. I was ready to go to, but Charles simmered things down enough. We left shortly after anyway, off to Oxford.” she said with a smile, “So yeah, daddy issues, I’m familiar with them.”

Angel knew better than to respond with the catch-all ‘I’m sorry’ or ‘that sucks’, “I’m glad you got out.” she said instead, “Not everyone is so lucky.”

Mystique smiled sadly, “No, not everyone.” she said softly. They stayed in silence for a while, “Listen, if you need to split after we touch down, I can explain—“

“You don’t have to.” Angel said, “Charles said I should stick around for a couple of days at least, so it doesn’t look like I’m just ditching.”

Mystique waved her hand dismissively, “Charles doesn’t always know what’s best, but he’s got a bad habit of thinking he does. If you need to go, you go. If you want to stay, we’ve got plenty of room. And if you do go, that room isn’t going anywhere.”

It was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her, and she told Mystique that, her eyes stinging a little. Mystique just smiled and squeezed her hand. They sat together for the remainder of the flight. She decided eventually to stay at least a couple of days, apologise where necessary and stand her ground elsewhere, then figure out where she wanted to go next. Maybe she’d get caught up in old ways again, but this time, with the security of Mystique and the others behind her, for the first time she felt like she could handle herself, no matter what the world threw at her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Girl friendships need to be protected at all costs. Protect your sisters, my dears.
> 
> Okay, after this we'll get more into the plotty-plot bits. I swear I know what I'm doing.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School and work is starting soon peeps, but I'll do my best to keep updating this. Also trigger warning for past rape/abuse and Alex being a little shit about it.
> 
>  
> 
> **Okay, so I've rewritten the last bit of this chapter after a commenter remarked that it was highly unrealistic, which I had to agree. When I wrote it I was in a state of mind to be more in Angel's head than Alex's, so it came out on her side rather than how it would have probably played out if they were real people. So, here's the revised version.**
> 
>  
> 
> **The moral of the story; don't settle for your second best. Fight with the damn thing until you like it. And also be nice when you talk with authors/commenters, because they can have good advice if you're nice about what you say. ******

The plane touched down without much more excitement; Angel dithered for a moment as they prepared to head back to the mansion, but she climbed into the car with them. At the very least, she owed them a larger explanation.

Irene had been silent most of the trip, staring off into space. Charles assured them that she was fine, she was just ‘looking’, whatever that meant. When they finally came back to the mansion, she took Mystique’s hand.

“Can you help me get cleaned up?” she asked, “I don’t know my way around.”

Mystique looked into her relatively plain face and nodded, realizing after a moment that it was useless, “Sure.” she said instead, “You can use my room while we get you sorted.”

Irene smiled and squeezed her hand, “Thank you Mystique.” she said.

Mystique led her up the steps, only realizing at the top that she’d never actually given Irene her name. She was about to ask, but then stopped herself, lest she sound like a moron.

“We need to talk.” Erik protested, following them, “We have to figure out what Shaw’s planning.”

Irene didn’t turn to face him, “Later. I’ve been trapped in a dirty cell for weeks, and then I had to tromp through a jungle. I need a long shower, a proper meal, and a nap before I do anything else.” she said, stern enough to stand firmly against even Erik’s iron hard resolve, “Trust me, nothing will be accomplished quicker if we talk now or tomorrow morning.”

Erik wanted to stare her down, but knew it was useless; both because this woman, a teen really, not much older than Mystique, was blind and wouldn’t react to his gaze, and because she was entirely right. He sighed and stepped passed her into the cavernous house.

“Mind the water.” she called after him, smiling a bit to herself. Erik looked back at her, confused, but she and Mystique were already walking with purpose down the hall. He brushed it off and went to the kitchen. It was his turn to cook.

Angel stood awkwardly at the base of the steps. They hadn’t been kidding when they’d called it a ‘mansion’. She’d only ever seen houses this big in movies, and she’d never dreamed she’d be invited inside one, other than maybe to provide ‘service’ to a gross old man who had a taste for the ‘exotic’ (she wasn’t, she was from the Bronx). She knew she wouldn’t be here under any other circumstances; she probably shouldn’t be here anyway.

“Angel? Something wrong?” Charles asked, getting situated in his chair with Hank and Alex’s help. Alex glared at her, but Hank avoided looking at her entirely.

“Nothing professor.” Angel said, though she shifted uncomfortably where she stood, “Um, I guess I should go if I’m going?” it came out like more a question than she’d intended it to.

“Nonsense. At least stay for dinner.” Charles said, smiling softly at her, “Erik is actually a very good cook.”

“We can set up a room.” Hank said quickly, “There’s lots of space.” he still wouldn’t look her in the eye, and Alex gave him a betrayed look.

Angel glanced between the two of them, “Okay. I guess a night wouldn’t hurt.” she said. She gathered her courage and followed them inside.

 

* * *

 

 

Mystique led Irene to the largest bathroom in the house; it was a little ornate and over the top, but it was the most comfortable and had a huge, claw-footed tub that was divine to soak in. Raven personally used it after very stressful days, or when she really needed to relax.

“The acoustics are nice in here.” Irene said, finally letting go of her hand and reaching around to find the counter. Mystique watched her feel her way around the counter space and sink, “I like the taps."

“I figured you’d want to have a nice long bath.” Mystique said, “Do you need me to stay or are you gonna be able to find everything on your own?” she winced a little, that sounded rather presumptuous, like she couldn’t get around on her own.

“I’ll need help.” Irene said, dashing her concerns, “I don’t know where everything is yet.” she explained.

“Right.” Mystique said, “I’ll run the water. How hot do you want it?”

“As near to scalding as you can make it.” Irene replied, beginning to peel off her gross clothing. At one point, her shirt had been a nice pale pink that she’d been told suited her complexion, made of a fabric that felt nice when it was clean, but now it was a grey-beige disgusting mess that stuck to her skin unpleasantly.

Mystique was fiddling with the knobs for a moment, her back turned to Irene. She startled a little when she saw the other girl shedding her clothes so casually, in front of a stranger as well, “Well, you’re not very shy.” she said.

Irene shrugged, “Not really.” she said, “Besides, you were going to see me naked anyway.”

“That’s true.” Mystique said.

Irene smiled and held out her hand; Mystique took it and led her to the bath, helping her step into it as it was still filling up. Irene moaned softly as the hot water engulfed her naked body, causing Mystique to flush a little. She’d noticed women in the past, but it had never really gone past a lingering appreciation for female beauty and company. She’d never really had many female friends; she’d only ever been close to Charles.

Putting it from her mind, she turned off the taps and reached for a wash cloth, “I assume you can wash most of yourself?”

“You assume correct, Mystique.” Irene said, “If you give me the correct soaps I can wash up just fine.”

Raven let out a hum and reached for the body wash she liked to use. After rummaging around for another wash cloth, they set about scrubbing the dirt and grime that had formed a layer over Irene’s skin. Mystique gently washed her back, seeing that Irene was actually quite pale under all of the dirt. Once they finished with that, Mystique reached for her nicest shampoo and conditioner.

“We might have to actually cut some of the matted bits out.” Mystique said as she massaged her scalp.

“I think it will be okay if we work at it a little.” Irene said, leaning into the touch. Mystique had never been so intimate with another woman.

“You think so? You don’t know?” Mystique asked, grinning a little.

Irene laughed, “I can only see so much. My powers aren’t that precise yet.” she said.

Mystique let out a hum of understanding and they lapsed into silence, “So how do they work?” she asked after a moment, “Your powers.”

“I imagine similar to your powers, and Charles’ powers, and Erik’s. Like flexing a familiar muscle.” Irene said, grinning cheekily, “I can see pathways. Spider-webs of futures that may or may not happen, depending on the choices people make. Some are more likely than others, some need a little push. Nothing is set in stone.”

“It must be nice.” Mystique replied, “To know the future before it happens.”

“It must be nice to be able to choose any face in the world as your own.” Irene countered, but there was no bite in it. Still, Mystique was taken a little aback, “When you know what’s coming, you have knowledge, and with that knowledge, you have power. But you can’t use that power, or you risk undoing what needs to happen in order for that future to arrive.”

Mystique blinked, “I didn’t think of it that way.” she said.

“No, I thought not.” Irene said with a smile, leaning back and patting Mystique’s hand. Her fingers lingered for a moment, “Your hand, you’re still in your Caucasian form.”

“Oh, yes.” Mystique said, as if just realizing it herself, “I didn’t want to frighten you. But now that I think about it, that seems a little silly.”

Irene laughed, “I could never be frightened of you, Mystique. You never have to hide your true self from me.” she said, turning her white, sightless eyes onto the other woman. Mystique stared into them, her heart pumping. She smiled back, knowing that Irene knew.

“Thank you.” she said, as she shifted her form to her blue, true self. Irene hummed and squeezed her hand, feeling the scales under her fingertips.

“Did you know blue used to be my favorite colour before I lost my sight?” Irene said after raven had rinsed the shampoo from her hair.

“Really?” Mystique chuckled, “I can understand, but I think most people don’t really associate it with skin tone.”

Irene laughed, “I’ll tell you more about it later.” she said, “For now I think we’re alright.”

Mystique raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything as she massaged a second helping of shampoo into her hair. She found she really liked Irene, even though they’d just met. She’d hadn’t had the chance to get to know Angel like she wanted, all those months ago, but now here was a second chance for her to have some real female companionship. Irene seemed comfortable around her, and they’re conversation had been easy and natural, not forced at all. She hoped they could remain friends.

 

 

Angel wandered through the halls, wondering how she’d ended up where she was. Last year she’d been a stripper with no one to call family, and now she was on the run for her life with a band of misfits who alternatively wanted to help her and wanted to throw her at Shaw’s feet. It wasn’t exactly how she’d pictured everything turning out.

A noise from behind startled her; she whipped around to see Alex standing in one of the doorways, watching her. She could see Darwin standing a little was behind him, mostly hidden by the door and Alex’s body. She steeled herself a little, ready for a fight if it came to that.

“So you wanna glare or you got something to say?” she snapped venomously.

Alex just kept glaring for a moment, eyes fiery with anger, “Did you know?”

“Know what?” Angel growled.

“That Scott is my little brother?” Alex hissed, “Did you know that before you kidnapped him so Shaw could torture him?”

Angel decided to choose her words carefully, “I didn’t know he was your brother.”

Alex’s face twisted into a terrifying visage of anger, “But you knew he was going to be tortured!” he shouted; Angel could see the red-hot energy building around Alex’s body, “You knew what Shaw was going to do!”

“Hey! I didn’t sign up when the plan was to torture kids, okay! Shaw came up with that tonterías after I was deep in it!” Angel shouted back, wings flicking out defensively.

“And you didn’t think to, I don’t know, _leave_ once it was clear that Shaw was bat shit crazy!?”

Angel flinched like he had slapped her, her heart freezing in her chest, “You don’t know _anything_ about me.” she growled, “You have no idea what my life has been like! You don’t know what it means for me to leave! Pendejo estúpido! Mi padre me _violó_ la primera vez que traté de salir!” she screamed.

Alex didn’t know any Spanish, but Darwin did, and he decided it was time to step in, “Alright, I think that’s enough.” he said, pushing his way between Alex and Angel, who were still locked in a death glare.

“Stay out of it Darwin.” Alex growled, low and threatening, “She’s a traitor.”

“Who has insight into how to get your brother back.” Darwin hissed, “Do you want to drive her away? She can help us.”

“I wouldn’t get help from her if it would save my life!” Alex shouted, starting to glow red with heat. Darwin’s hands on his chest grew hard and thick like stone.

“What about Scott’s life?” Darwin asked, “Would you risk him?” he stared into Alex’s eyes, pinning him down.

Alex looked up into the hard, dark stare; he glanced at Angel again, the picture of fury, and growled, “This isn’t over.” he warned, jabbing a finger at her, “When I get my brother back, I’m going to make you answer for everything that was done to him, and all the other kids you put in Shaw’s hands.” with that he turned and stomped away, down the hallway and to the elevator. He needed to blow off steam.

Darwin sighed and watched him go. He turned back to Angel, his eyes tired and pitying. Angel steeled herself for some self-righteous bullshit about how she deserved what she got and how horrible she was.

“Save it.” she spat, cutting him off as he opened his mouth, “I don’t want to hear it.”

Darwin closed his mouth, letting the silence hang for a long moment. Quietly, he said, “We’ve all been through bad stuff Angel. You can’t let it take over who you are.”

Angel spat a fireball at his feet, making him jump backwards, “You don’t know anything about me.” she turned and flittered down the hallway, leaving Darwin with a smoking crater at his feet, ruining another carpet.

Darwin sighed again and ran a hand through his hair. He understood that she had gone through a bad situation, probably many, and Shaw was most likely just another abuser in a lineup of abusers, but she really needed to recognise that she was wrong here. He knew that it was easy to shove the blame off, and make it someone else’s fault, but it would do her no favors in this house. At least Xavier would be understanding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Raven/Irene is the best ship to ever set sail.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was initially stuck on this pretty badly, but then I revised the last chapter and this worked much better. I'm really pleased with how the story is progressing. If anyone out there has any suggestions, I'm happy to hear them (though that doesn't mean I'll change the chapter, it just means I'm willing to listen to suggestions).

Erik swore as he yanked the over-boiling pot of water off the stove with his powers. _Mind the water_ she’d said, and he’d dismissed it so easily. He wouldn’t be doing that again. He fixed the heat setting and set the pot back down, then returned to chopping broccoli.

Behind him, Angel fluttered into the kitchen, her bug wings hardly making any noise; Erik might have missed it if he hadn’t caught her reflection in the shiny taps.

“You look angry.” he said, keeping his calm.

“No tienes ni idea. Estúpido Alex debe aprender a cerrar la boca!” Angel hissed, rummaging through the cabinets, “¿Dónde diablos está la bebida en este lugar!?”

Erik raised an eyebrow, “All the alcohol is locked up in the basement.” he said after deciphering her accent, “What did Alex say?”

Angel sighed and ran a hand through her hair, “Nothing, forget it.” she said.

Erik turned to face her completely, “You know, I don’t blame you.” he said.

Angel paused in her movements, aside from her fluttering wings holding her several inches off the ground, “You don’t?” she asked quietly.

“Shaw gets into your head. He makes you believe in his vision. It took a long time for me to cast aside what he’d done to me.” Erik said, keeping his voice low, “And even now I still find myself thinking that his ideas aren’t all bad, even though I want to drive a spike through his head.”

Angel lowered to the floor, “Really?” she asked.

Erik nodded, “A world without humans. Sounds nice, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah.” Angel said, leaning back against the counter and shuffling her feet, “I hate the way they treated me.”

“You think I don’t?” Erik asked, “Fear and oppression wiped out my entire family, and millions more just like them. And we allowed it to happen to us, as did the people who stood by and watched it happen. Shaw tortured me, but he was given the means to do so by humans who hated and feared the power of the ‘other’.” he said, the metal in the room flexing under his power, “We won’t allow that to happen again. Not this time.”

Angel looked up at Erik, half in fear and half in awe. Maybe she’d stick around for a bit longer. There was a distressed hissing noise as the pot on the stove boiled over again.

“God damn it!” Erik shouted, furiously twisting knobs and lifting pans. Angel was getting whiplash, watching him go from a menacing figure of revolution to a picture of domesticity, futzing with the stove and chopping vegetables (controlling the knife with his powers and holding the vegetables in place with careful hands).

Angel watched for a minute or so, “Can I help?” she asked, quiet enough that he might not have heard her.

“Stir that pot on the far left.” was all he said to her as he finished with the garlic, “And keep an eye on the broccoli in the steamer, or it will go mushy.”

Angel nodded and set to work, not saying anything else. The only sounds for the next while were the hissing and clanking of the pots on the stove and the steady thunk of Erik’s knife on the cutting board, along with the occasional order or direction from Erik, curt and precise, just like the man himself. Angel relaxed into her role of stirring and checking, enjoying— for once— the quiet and easy peace. She could deal with Alex later, right now she was helping Erik.

 

* * *

 

 

Darwin landed on the concrete floor of the hall leading to the bunker. It was a little offside to the big room where Cerebro was being built and rebuilt and recalibrated, but Charles had plans to basically make an underground facility to act as both a secret training space and a medical center, so Darwin imagined that the whole place would soon fill up. Alex was in the largest bunker, where he’d learned how to focus and control his powers. Darwin waited until the light over the door went from green to red and grabbed the fire extinguisher. He took a deep breath and opened the door.

Alex was propped up against the back wall of the bunker, panting and sweating, his head hanging to his heaving chest. Surprisingly, the bunker was not completely on fire; only the mannequin (which always got left down here for this reason) was a smoldering, bifurcated mess.

“Hey, you only hit the target.” Darwin said, setting down the fire extinguisher and walking up to the other man, kneeling next to him, “You’re getting better.”

Alex just kept taking deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down. He clenched his fists for a moment, fighting down the fire, then relaxed as it receded. Darwin leaned over and pulled Alex to his chest, running a hand through his sweaty blonde hair.

“You’re alright.” Darwin crooned, wrapping him securely in his arms, “You’re alright.”

Alex took a shuddering breath and nuzzled into his companion, listening to his steady heartbeat. After a few minutes, he was relaxed enough to wrap his arms around him in return.

“Feeling better?” Darwin asked, pulling back a little to smile down at Alex.

“Not really.” Alex said, pushing his face into Darwin’s chest, “My brother is still missing and probably being tortured, the one responsible for it is wandering around upstairs, and I can’t blast her because it would just make me as bad as her.” he growled, growing warm again.

“Hey now, calm down.” Darwin said, “Just take a deep breath. We’re getting closer to finding Scott every day.” he said, rubbing Alex’s back, “And Angel helped with that.”

Alex grumbled, but he had to concede that point to Darwin. Without Angel, Irene never would have made it out, incapacitating Shaw’s forces while simultaneously giving them the upper hand they needed to take him down. He didn’t like to admit it, but thanks to Angel, they were leaps and bounds closer to getting Scott back.

Darwin kissed the top of his head, “We’ll get Scott back.” he repeated, “We’re gonna get him back to his big brother.”

Alex smiled a little, “Yeah.” he croaked, voice catching in his throat, “I’m gonna be with my little brother again.”

Darwin grinned, “I’m sure you’re gonna be a great big brother.” he said.

“I sure hope so.” Alex said, “It’s been years since I’ve seen him. He was so young when . . . the accident happened.”

Darwin let out a sigh through his nose and kissed Alex’s forehead again, “I’m sure it’ll be the best moment of his life.” he said, “His big brother stormin’ in like a knight in shining armor to rescue him? He’ll be beside himself.”

Alex laughed, “Weirdo.” he teased, elbowing the larger teen. He was relaxed now, all the tension from earlier seeping away. He looked at the melt mass that was once the mannequin, “We should probably clean that up.” he said, but he didn’t move.

Darwin hummed, “In a sec.” he said, moving down to kiss the blonde on the mouth, watching as Alex’s blue eyes widened and then closed as he kissed back. He loved watching Alex while they kissed, seeing the fire in his eyes and feeling the heat in his skin. He pulled Alex closer and slid his hands up his back, massaging the tense muscles in his shoulders and spine. Alex in turn wrapped his arms around Darwin, one hand coming up to thread through his short hair. He moaned softly and parted his lips, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. Darwin grinned slightly and placed his hands on Alex’s hips, pulling them closer and sliding one hand up into Alex’s shirt.

Alex tensed and pulled back, “Someone could see.” he said, though he didn’t separate himself completely from Darwin.

“No one’s gonna come down.” Darwin said, a little disappointed.

Alex wriggled in Darwin’s arms, pulling back some more, “We don’t know that.” he said.

Darwin sensed the moment had passed and stepped back, away from Alex, “Yeah, I suppose.” he said morosely, “I’ll see you at dinner?” he asked, turning to go.

Alex wanted to reach for Darwin, to apologise and pull him back into a loving kiss, but he hesitated, glancing at the door. Darwin took that as his cue and stalked off, shoulders tight and head high, like he was trying to prove to the world that he would be just fine.

Alex groaned and ran his hands through his hair. He held his face in his hands for a moment before walking over and grabbing the fire extinguisher. He stomped down to the end of the bunker and began to douse the still smouldering pile of plastic in the white foam.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to kiss Darwin and hold his hand and be with him, he was just worried that someone would find out. Specifically, that someone would find out and rat them out to the cops. He’d seen a few ‘queer’ guys during his time in juvie, and they honestly got the worst treatment of all. Sexual abuse was rampant, as was physical and verbal abuse from other inmates and guards and even the supervisors and counselors. A few had even been killed while he was there, and it was a fate he’d rather avoid. He didn’t know if the others would turn them in, but he didn’t want to see the disapproving looks in their eyes, judging him and knowing that he was wrong inside. He couldn’t help but love Darwin, but he damn well didn’t want to end up in prison for it, especially not now that he was so close to having his brother back.

Alex glared down at the melted mess like it was personally responsible for his problems. He gave it a sharp kick, as if it might help the turmoil inside.

 

* * *

 

 

After a long, relaxing bath and an equally relaxing nap, Irene’s other needs made themselves known to her; specifically, her need for food. Dinner was about to be served, so she was in luck on that front, at least. Mystique had gone to set up a room for her while she borrowed her bed for her nap, and while she technically could probably find her own way to the dining room, she knew that it wouldn’t be long before the blue mutant came back to check on her.

“Irene?” Mystique called, knocking on the door, “Dinner is ready if you want to come down.”

“Sounds good.” she called back. She stood as Mystique opened the door to lead her through the house. Irene was already starting to get the layout of the sprawling mansion memorised. Soon, she wouldn’t need Mystique to lead her everywhere.

“Erik made dinner, so it’s probably going to be good.” Mystique said, “He’s surprisingly handy in the kitchen.”

“It’ll be good.” Irene said, smiling, “I honestly can’t wait to taste it.”

Mystique laughed and squeezed her hand, sending a little thrill through Irene. It was so hard to restrain herself; she knew that it wasn’t time for her and Mystique yet, but she was so tempted. Still, the world needed Mystique to make her mistakes, it would be better off for it.

They sat down to dinner just as Erik was finished dishing it out onto plates. Mystique and Irene sat together, and Angel quickly joined them, not eager to be seated next to the boys, a few of which who still weren’t looking her in the eye.

Dinner was relatively quiet while everyone was eating. Hank was there for once, and while that might have sparked conversation, Charles had a rule about unsavory topics at the dinner table. So everyone kept mostly quiet while there was still food on their plates.

Irene put her fork down as she finished off her spectacular broccoli and chicken fettuccini Alfredo, “It was delicious Erik.” she said, “Now, if everyone’s done, I believe you all have questions for me and Angel.” she said.

There was a pregnant pause followed by a throat-clearing cough from Charles, “I suppose we shouldn’t avoid it.” he said, “What can you tell us?”

“You’ve guessed most of it yourself; Shaw is kidnapping mutant children and experimenting on them to learn about their powers and eventually control them for his own purposes.” Irene explained, “The children are generally under the age of ten, though a few are older. There actually weren’t that many children captive when I managed to escape with the help of Angel,” she took Angel’s warm hand in hers, giving it a squeeze, “And the help of a young telepath with budding telekinetic powers. He has a few more targets lined up, but after that he has nothing other than what I gave him.”

“Do you know who’s next?” Charles asked, leaning forward.

“I think so— after he started learning how to get more accurate visions out of me, he decided to get more . . . personal, with his selections.” Irene said, rubbing her arm a little, remembering Frost’s icy touch in her mind.

“Personal?” Erik asked, “What do you mean by that?”

“People who would be significant later on in your lives. Relatives, family, friends, people with a connection to your futures.” Irene explained.

“Scott.” Alex said mournfully, clenching his fists.

“Exactly. And not only family, but also friends. Several children will go on to become students here.” Irene said.

“Students?” Hank inquired, “This is going to be a school?”

Charles hummed, “I had been considering making this a safe haven, where mutants could learn to control their powers safely and free from persecution.” he said, “It’s nice to know that I’ll actually be able to pull it off.”

“Believe me, it’ll be much more than just a school.” Irene said, smiling softly. She held his gaze for a moment, seeming to look right through him (which was odd for Charles, as he wasn’t usually on the receiving end of all-knowing stares), then turned back to the room at large, “Shaw will have moved by now, but in a day I’ll have his new location.”

“So what do you propose we do about him?” Erik asked, “What’s your prediction?”

Irene turned her eyes to Erik, “If you want to know whether or not you kill him, I’m afraid I can’t tell you.” she said, “There’s only so much I can reveal without influencing too much. Some things need to happen on their own.”

“We understand, thank you.” Charles said before Erik could protest, “So, he’ll move to a new place, and we’ll ambush him there.”

“He’ll expect you.” Irene said, “So there won’t be an ambush. More like a confrontation. But, the ball is in your court. He’s lost a team member and his greatest asset. By the time you get to him, his own team will be falling apart as well.”

“Really? How so?” Darwin asked, “They seemed fine when they were kicking our asses earlier.”

“Something is going to happen.” Irene said, becoming unfocused and dreamy, “It’s all cloudy right now, and I can’t really see what sets it off, but I know that something is going to happen.”

The rest of the table watched Irene for a moment as she seemed lost in her own world. She shook herself out of it, “In any case, without the help of the CIA, this is going to be a delicate operation.”

“Wait, what?” Sean asked, perking up at the edge of the table, “What do you mean? We’ve got Moira on our side. She’ll help us, and she’s CIA.”

Erik and Charles shared a look, “Well, not exactly.” Charles said with a small cough, “We had to let Moira go. It was too dangerous to have her keep coming to us.”

The table went silent for a long, pregnant moment. Sean looked back and forth between Charles and Erik, trying to find the lie, “Don’t joke around. You wouldn’t do that to her. She’s on our side.” he said.

“Sean, she was dangerous. Not her directly, but her job and the people she works for.” Charles said, “I couldn’t let her compromise this place.”

Sean just seemed to get more and more agitated with every word, “So, so— you just ditched her? Told her to never come back?” he asked, his voice starting to take on a high pitched note that usually spelled danger for everyone’s eardrums.

“Sean, I didn’t have a choice.” Charles said, “I didn’t have any other options. Having her around put you, all of you, in danger. As much as I would have liked to keep her in our circle, I have a responsibility to the people in this house.”

“Moira may not have betrayed us,” Erik interjected before Sean could say anything, “But that doesn’t mean the government wouldn’t have tried to reach us through her. We can’t trust them, we can never trust the government.” he said, absently squeezing his left forearm with his right hand.

“But she already knows anyway! What does kicking her out now do? It only makes it so she’ll hate us and want to turn us in!” Sean cried, the windows starting to rattle.

Charles sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “I had no choice but to erase Moira’s memories of this place, of us. I wish it could have gone another way, but the risk was too much. I’m sorry Sean, but we can never go back to Moira, and she can never come back to us.”

Sean clenched his fists and took deep breaths, physically restraining himself from screaming. He was angry, for sure, but he didn’t want to accidentally hurt anyone with his scream, especially his friends. After a few moments, he turned and stomped out of the room.

Charles groaned and rubbed his eyes; that wasn’t how he’d hoped things would go. He looked up at the other faces at the table, “I’m sorry, but it had to be done.” he said.

Everyone exchanged glances, “We get that, really.” Hank finally said, “But, you could have told us beforehand. We could have put it to a vote.”

“We _should_ have put it to a vote.” Mystique said, “Responsible nothing, we all should have a say in what goes on in this house. You can’t make our decisions for us Charles, we’re not children.”

Charles’s eyes widened in shock; he hadn’t actually considered that. He was so used to making decisions for his and his sister’s safety that he hadn’t thought to include anyone else. He’d even left Erik out of it, more or less. He’d acted in everyone’s best interests, but he’d done so without anyone else’s opinion.

“Charles did what he thought was best to protect you.” Erik defended, “He—“

“No no, they’re right.” Charles interrupted, “I should have discussed it with them. I’m sorry.” he said, looking at Mystique. She gave him a small smile in return.

Hank shifted in his chair, “We know why you did it, but Raven’s right. We should have been included.” he said.

“Absolutely. I’ll endeavor to not make decisions without speaking to you about it first. All of you.” Charles said.

“Well, this has been very touching.” Angel interjected suddenly, “But I think we still need to figure out what the hell we’re going to do about Shaw.”

Erik hummed, “Yes, we should focus on the matter at hand.” he said, turning to Irene again, “You were saying how confronting Shaw was going to be difficult.”

Irene was staring off into space again, having become lost in a vision shortly after the argument about Moira had started. She blinked and seemed to come back to reality after a moment, “I can’t tell you.” she said, “I can’t influence the outcome of the fight.”

Erik growled; he was getting frustrated with Irene’s constant unhelpfulness. She only gave arbitrary tidbits of information that they would have gathered for themselves, given enough time and resources. He supposed he should have admired her stern will and commitment to use her powers only when needed to ensure the best future, but he wasn’t a patient man, especially when it came to finally having his revenge on the man who’d destroyed his life.

Charles reached over to rest his hand on Erik’s elbow, “We understand.” he said to Irene, “Can you tell us anything else?”

“Tomorrow I’ll tell you where his new hideout is.” Irene said, “Today I can only tell you who he has captive, and will have captive in the next few days.”

“We can start there.” Charles said, “We know of a few captives; Alex’s brother, for one.”

“Scott Summers.” Angel said, “There was also Jean Grey, Jean-Paul and Jeanne-Marie Baubier— fraternal twins—, Mortimer Toynbee, Jason Wyndgarde, Yoshida Shiro, Alison Blaire, Mary Walker, Fred Dukes, and John Proudstar were all of the kids when I was there.” she said. At everyone’s raised eyebrows, she glared, “I memorized their names, shut up.”

“Twelve children.” Charles said, “And more to come.”

“How many more?” Hank asked Irene. He hated the idea of experiments on children. When he was young, one of his nightmares had been the government coming and taking him away to study him.

Irene seemed to concentrate for a moment, “Just four I think, bringing us to sixteen in all.”

“So what can we do? About the kids he doesn’t have yet? We can’t just let him take them.” Alex said, “We’ve got to protect them.”

“We’re certainly going to try.” Charles said, “Do you have their names, Irene?”

“Ororo Munroe, Pietro and Wanda Maximoff, and a boy who goes by ‘Johnathan Silvercloud’.” Irene rattled off, as though she was eager to get the names into the open air, “Now if the rest of you will excuse us, I need to speak to Erik alone about something important.”

“Why?” Mystique asked, feeling a little betrayed, “We just went through this. We all need to be included in decision making.”

"Besides, we haven't decided how we're going to protect the kids." Hank said.

Charles let out a contemplative hum, "I think we can simply track them down with Cerebro, or failing that, a phone book." he said, "And in any case, I think we've had enough excitement for the moment. We can make a plan of action once we have the location of the children."

"But why do you need to talk to Erik?" Mystique accused, still turned to glare, however ineffectually, at Irene. She hated being left out of important things, like she wasn't important enough to be included, even though she was just as capable as anyone else.

“Raven.” Irene hummed softly, taking her hand and giving it a light squeeze, “This isn’t about that. This is personal.” she said, “Trust me.”

Mystique wanted to be angry, but looking into Irene’s eyes, she couldn’t be. Somehow she trusted Irene, even after knowing her for such a short time. She squeezed her hand back a little, wondering why she felt so at ease with her. Was it because Irene seemed to trust her so much already? Mystique let out a long sigh.

“Okay.” she said, “But I don’t like it.” she glanced at Charles, raising her eyebrow in a poignant look. She got up and started herding the others out, taking the dirty dishes with them.

“We’ll go find Sean.” Darwin said, tugging Alex’s by the sleeve.

Charles nodded to them and waited until they all left before wheeling himself out of the room. He could understand why she might want to talk to Erik and himself, seeing as the two of them were the de facto leaders of the house, but he wasn’t sure why she would need to speak to Erik alone, or what she meant by ‘personal’.

He had a sinking feeling that he wasn’t going to like it when he found out. With one last glance at Erik, he left the dining room and closed the door behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much stuff happened here, my goodness. This got really long without meaning to; I was initially going to write the 'big reveal' in this chapter, but then I saw that it was 4,000 words long and thought 'naw'. Anyway, can you guess who all of the kids are? I actually looked up a wiki list for mutant characters so I could have a larger selection. I tried to stick to well-known-ish characters, but I also tried to make it so that not all the characters were super important to the X-Men, just to have variety and to make it more consistent to the story. I also tried to stick to characters that might be older in the MCU, even though I'm writing in a mix of MCU and Comicverse.
> 
> Also, would you believe that this chapter is _exactly ___4,000 words long? How neat is that?


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I put Wanda and Pietro's age at about 4 here, which is what I managed to math out from 'Peter's' approximate age in DOFP (16 or 17 I think, not much older than that). Erik is about 30 or 31 in this story (I'm guessing he was maybe 12-sh in 1944 when we see him being taken by Shaw, though some bios put him at 14 in movie continuity).

“Where do you think he went?” Alex asked, looking around for Sean.

“He couldn’t have gone far.” Darwin said.

“By all accounts, we should be able to hear him.” Hank said, falling into step with the other two, “He’s usually pretty audible when he gets upset.”

“True that.” Darwin said, “So he probably won’t be able to hear us if we call him.”

“Probably not.” Hank said. He let out a sigh, and then sniffed, “Hey, hang on.” he said, sniffing again, “I think I can smell him.”

“ _Smell_ him? I know he’s not exactly the most hygiene-savvy guy, but I don’t think he’s ripe enough to smell from here.” Alex said.

Hank rolled his eyes and sniffed again, “Heightened senses, jackass.” he explained, “I think he went this way.” he veered down a side hall, then turned around, “Or maybe this way?”

“Wow, the mighty Beast, hunting down his prey. So impressed.” Alex rolled his eyes, following behind the blue mutant.

Darwin punched him in the arm, “Be nice. I don’t see you coming up with any ideas. Besides, Hank’s still new to this kinda thing.”

“Well, mostly.” Hank said, still breathing deeply through his nose to try and figure out which way Sean went, “My senses have always been a little above average, but not to this extent.” he explained, “I’ve never been able to track anyone by smell.”

“Well, it’s pretty useful.” Darwin said, smiling, “It must be nice.”

“Not really.” Hank said, “My eyes hurt when it’s really bright out, and I can smell everything, and I really mean _everything_. You need to brush your teeth after breakfast Alex, really.” he said, “Not to mention that my fur makes clothing so uncomfortable, and hot. I keep breaking my delicate tools with my new strength. It’s a nightmare.”

“Yikes, didn’t think of it like that.” Darwin said, “Sorry.” now he felt a bit like an ass.

Hank sighed, “It’s not your fault. I did this to myself.” he said, clenching his hands a little, running his thumb over his furry knuckles and feeling his claw-like nails digging into his palms, “I tried to mess with genetics and got burned for it.”

“Yeah, I never got that anyway.” Alex said, “Why’d you try and go and change your appearance? You looked fine.”

“You’re kidding right?” Hank looked back at him, incredulous, “I grew up fearing for my life because one misplaced sock could have gotten me shipped off to some secret government lab to be experimented on.”

“We all went through that Hank. You think when I accidentally took out the entire wall of my foster home, I didn’t think that I might get carted off to get dissected?” Alex said, “We all get it man.”

“I literally adapt to survive. You’re a science guy, you think of all the applications a power like that could be used in the wrong hands.” Darwin said, “Hell, look at Erik. His mutation didn’t exactly do him a lot of good when the Nazi’s broke down his door.”

Hank sighed and ran his hand through the fur on his head and down onto his neck, “Yeah, I know, but you guys can still walk around in public without being worried about your feet constantly. I’ve never worn sandals, or any sort of comfortable shoe ever. All shoes hurt me.” Hank said, “And now I can’t go out at all. I can barely look at my own face in the mirror.”

The three were quiet for a long moment, “That sucks dude.” Alex finally said. They continued on in silence.

They heard it before they ever saw him. Hank heard it first, the high pitches grating on his sensitive ears, causing a mild headache to make itself at home in his head. Then Darwin and Alex heard the calamitous screaming. They stopped at the window that Sean had obviously jumped from with his flight suit. Alex poked his head out and watched Sean fly around the yard.

“Maybe we should let him calm down a bit.” Darwin suggested, “I don’t think he wants to listen to anything we have to say right now.”

“I don’t think he can hear us.” Hank grumbled, rubbing at his ears, “Why don’t we just keep an eye on him and wait for him to tire himself out?”

“Yeah, that’s probably the best idea. At least we know where he went.” Darwin said, “We’ll stay here Hank. You go and get your ears away from this.”

“Thank you.” Hank said, turning around and stalking down the hall.

“See you later!” Alex called after him. He made himself comfortable and waited for Sean’s shrieks to quiet.

 

* * *

 

 

“So,” Erik said, sliding into the seat next to Irene, “What’s so important about these four children?”

“It’s only the twins that you need to worry about.” Irene said, “Pietro and Wanda Maximoff.”

Erik raised an eyebrow. The last name did strike a cord in his mind, but it couldn’t be the same family that he had known, could it? The last he had known of them, the remaining members had been in Eastern Europe. Then again, Irene had never said that the children were American.

“What about them?” he asked finally.

“Their mother’s name was Magda.” Irene said, staring into his face, not so much searching as _knowing_.

Erik’s heart jumped into his throat, but he forced himself to calm down. So it was the same family after all; the chances of there being two Magda Maximoff’s were slim to none. So Magda had more children? He wasn’t sure how to feel about that. But wait—?

“Was?” he asked, forcing his voice to be steady around the lump in his throat, “She died?”

Irene took on a sad expression, looking away from his face, “I’m sorry.” she said, “I’m not sure how she died, but it was some time after the children were born. About four years ago.”

At this Erik’s heart started to pound. Four years? It couldn’t be right, could it? He silently did the math in his head, trying to make sense of it. Allowing for a few months on either side of the scale, it was entirely possible for the children to have been conceived before the fire. So that meant—?

Pietro and Wanda Maximoff were his children?

He was a father?

Erik took a deep, steadying breath, trying to calm down. He could feel the metal shift and flex around him, his powers reacting to his tumultuous emotions. Unthinking, he reached out with his mind for Charles, desperate for his calming voice.

_Erik? What happened? Are you all right?_ Charles’s voice materialized in his head. The dark haired man reached with his powers, trying to figure out what had upset his friend, but Erik’s emotions were too erratic to pin anything down, _Calm down my friend. Calm your mind._ he soothed, sending waves of relaxation and calming energy through their link.

Erik took a few more deep breaths, taking in Charles’s calming presence in his mind. After a moment, he was relaxed enough to think straight without damaging any of the metal appliances or fixtures around him. He looked up at Irene.

“Are you telling me what I think you’re telling me?” he asked, almost growling, “Are they my— those children— they’re mine?”

Irene nodded, “You are their father.” she said, “They are your children.”

Erik sucked in a breath, trying to keep his mind level. He was a father. Magda had been pregnant when she had left him. And he’d never even tried to find her in the nearly five years since. He stomach felt hot with nerves and guilt and shame. His own children had grown up without their father. He’d failed as a father once again.

Abruptly, he stood and left the room, leaving Irene behind. He let his feet carry him, not sure where he was going, but determined to get there. When he arrived in front of Charles’s room, he wasn’t even remotely surprised. He pushed the door open without knocking, stomping inside to stand right in front of a very concerned telepath.

“What on earth happened?” Charles asked, all wide-eyed concern.

Erik took a shaking breath; his legs no longer able to hold him up, he stumbled backwards and sat on the bed, putting his face in his hands. Charles wheeled over and put a warm hand on his shoulder, waiting patiently for Erik to compose himself, for which Erik was grateful. He was realizing more and more how much Charles kept him in balance, kept him calm and sane. It must have been minutes before either of them spoke again.

“They’re my children.” Erik said, not even bothering to sound composed.

“Who are? What are you talking about?” Charles asked.

“Pietro and Wanda.” Erik said, absently realizing that it was the first time he’d ever uttered his own children’s names, “They’re my children. I’m their father.”

“What? Are you sure?” Charles asked, then shook his head, “Stupid question. Irene wouldn’t have done this without being sure.”

That idea hadn’t even occurred to Erik. Irene had no reason to lie to him; there was no advantage to messing with him. Could she have been screwing with his mind? Why? And why choose this way to do it?

Charles winced at the turmoil in Erik’s mind and squeezed his shoulder, “I didn’t sense her lying Erik.” he said, “Whatever she said, she told the truth.”

Erik took a few more deep breaths, letting it all sink in, “I’ve failed again.” he said to himself, “I failed.”

“Oh Erik no.” Charles said, “You didn’t know, you couldn’t have.” he said, though he didn’t know the whole story, “Tell me what happened.”

Erik took a moment to consider. He had no reason to tell Charles his past, but then again, he had no reason not to. Take his head out of his hands, he looked into Charles’s concerned blue eyes. He ran a hand through his hair and launched into his story.

“After the camps, I managed to escape from Shaw.” he started, “I just wanted to get away from him and live peacefully. I found an old friend that I had known before the camps, a Romani girl, Magda Maximoff.” he paused here for a moment, remembering her sweet face and kindness, even after all they had suffered, “She and what remained of her family took me in, and I called myself Magnus Maximoff. Magda and I were married shortly after.”

Charles listened intently, though internally he was surprised at Erik’s confession. He’d never imagined the man to have ever been married, or anything but driven to his goal of revenge. He supposed there was a lot he didn’t know about his friend.

“We settled in Ukraine for a while, in a little village called Vinnitsa. We had a daughter, Anya.” Erik continued; he smiled sadly at the memory of his little girl, “We were happy, for a while. I got a job in the town, and we lived peacefully.” here he stopped, fists clenching, “Then one of the villagers, he found out about me. He was about to be crushed under some tin roofing, and I saved his life. I should have let him die.” he growled.

“He gathered the other villagers and told them I was a witch or something. I tried to reason with them, I tried to tell them I was harmless.” Erik explained, but his voice had become sad, defeated, “They wouldn’t listen. They . . . they burned our house down. Magda and I got out. Anya . . . my little girl . . . she—” Erik’s voice broke, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. He took a few deep breaths to try and force down the overwhelming sadness. Had only been five years since he’d held his little girl? Since he’d put her tiny, broken body in the cold, unforgiving ground? He let out a breath that was nearly a sob and continued.

“I killed them. The villagers. I used my powers and I killed them. They destroyed my life, so I destroyed them.” he said without a hint of regret, “But it frightened Magda. She ran from me before we could put our baby girl to rest.” he said, getting lost in the memory of that horrid night. He could still clearly see the fear on his beloved’s face as he’d reached for her with bloody hands. After that, he’d drifted for a while, with no direction to guide. It was when he’d wound up in Moldova and had, quite by change, stumbled upon the Nazi bastard who he had watched rape and then murder his sister when they had first been captured. In a rage, he’d killed the man in his home, his pleas for mercy and declarations of apology falling on deaf ears. After that, he’d thrown himself into finding Shaw, and killing as many Nazi pieces of shit as he could along the way. It wasn’t as though he had anything left to lose at the time.

Charles had sat in silence the entire time. Slowly, he reached his arms around Erik and pulled him close for a tight embrace. He couldn’t imagine the pain Erik must live with every day. He never showed it; it must have been buried deep, so deep that even Charles had no idea. The idea of losing his family once was painful enough, but to lose your family a second time? It was too much to bear. Charles just held Erik close and tried to convey his absolute despair for his friend.

Erik leaned into the embrace, arms coming to carefully wrap around his friend, burying his face into Charles’s shoulder. He’d never told anyone about this. It was a painful memory to drag up, but it felt good to have it out in the open, if only to Charles, the man he was coming to trust over all others. He took a few deep breaths and hoped to God that Charles couldn’t feel his tears soaking into his cardigan.

“She must have been pregnant when she left.” he finally said, “She must have had the twins and left them with family. Irene said she’d passed away.”

“We’ll find them.” Charles promised, “We’ll find them and protect them.”

“We have to get to them before Shaw does.” Erik said, pulling away, a fire in his eyes, “I can’t let Shaw get his hands on them.”

Charles matched the determination in his friends eyes, “We’ll find them.” he promised again. He wheeled himself to the door, “Let’s go talk to Irene again and see if she knows anything else.”

Erik stood and followed his friend, pushing him with his powers. He wouldn’t let what remained of his family fall into the hands of the man who had destroyed Erik’s life. ‘Revenge’ didn’t even scratch the surface anymore. He was going to _annihilate_ Shaw from existence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Erik; he just can't catch a break, can he? I know there was a line in X1 about him seeing the Statue of Liberty in 1949, but I'm just straight up ignoring that. I'm trying to mix movie and comic timelines and continuity, so some things from the movies don't fit and some things from the comics don't fit.
> 
> Also we get some more character study with Hank, Alex, and Darwin. I know I focus most on those guys, but I really like them. We'll get more into Sean's head next chapter.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something like a filler chapter, but sort of not. I've never really done anything with Sean until now, and I have to admit I don't really know a lot about the character. So if anyone has more info on the character, I'd like to hear it.

It took Sean an hour and a half to calm down; his voice was scratchy and hoarse by the time he landed on the ground. Rather than go in right away, he just flopped down on the grass, rolling onto his back and glaring at the darkening sky.

After a few minutes, footsteps approached his place on the ground, and immediately after the faces of Alex and Darwin and Hank came into his line of vision. They all stared down at him, none of them speaking.

Sean glared, “What do you want?” he croaked, voice still raw.

“Dude, you okay?” Alex asked, raising an eyebrow, “You’ve been out here for two hours.”

“Fuck off.” Sean hissed, trying to smother a cough. It caught in his throat and he twitched as he violently coughed, his throat burning.

“Why don’t we go inside and get you a glass of water?” Hank suggested, offering a hand. Sean deliberated for a moment before taking it and hauling himself up. The four of them walked to the house in silence.

They made it to the kitchen before anyone said anything.

“The Professor is a dick.” Sean groused once he’d gulped down enough water to drown a small dog. He still sounded scratchy, but his throat no longer burned.

“Yeah, it was kind of a dick move.” Darwin said, “Just shutting Moira out like that.”

“She was helping us.” Sean insisted, “She wasn’t a danger to us at all.”

Hank and Darwin exchanged a look, “Well, no, she wasn’t personally.” Darwin said, “But the CIA might have tried to get to us through her.”

“Might schmight, they would have to be idiots not to try and use Moira to get to us.” Alex said, “Yeah she didn’t mean any harm, but you can do a lot of damage without meaning to.”

Sean was about to defend her, but Alex leveled him with a stare, “How many times have you broken a window without meaning to? How many times have you accidently shouted too loud? How many times do you think I’ve destroyed walls? Buildings? Nearly hurt someone? I didn’t mean to, but it happened.” he said, “Moira didn’t mean to be putting us in danger, but she did.”

Sean deflated a little, not having anything to counter that, “Well, it’s still stupid.” he mumbled into his glass of water, “The CIA wasn’t even looking to come after us.” he said.

“Well, we don’t really know that.” Darwin said, “They’re an organization of _spies_ , they’re secrets have secrets. Who says that they weren’t looking into ways to come after us and just didn’t tell Moira?”

“Well, we won’t know now, will we? Moira was our window in, and now she can’t tell us anything.” Sean said.

“Charles could find out what the highest CIA agent think about waffles for breakfast, I think he’d be able to figure out if they were about to come after us.” Alex said.

“Well, maybe.” Hank said, “Charles would need the opportunity to read the right person’s mind, as well as being in range enough.”

“What about Cerebro? I thought that amplified him enough that he could read every mind on the planet.” Alex said.

“Sort of? It amplifies his powers, but not to that extent.” Hank said, “He can sense probably every mind, but I don’t think he’d be able to get anything but random surface thoughts.”

“So we’re screwed if the government decides to come after us? Nice.” Sean slumped in his seat, crossing his arms.

“If they were going to move on us, we would have heard about it before now. A big operation like that wouldn’t stay hidden from Moira for that long, and she would have told us.” Darwin said.

“See? That exactly what I’m saying! She was helping us!” Sean exclaimed.

“Well, in this case, do the benefits outweigh the risks?” Darwin countered, “Moira was still the best way to get to us, even unintentionally. Is a slight forewarning better than avoiding the possibility that she’d be used against us?”

“It’s not like she’d do it on purpose.” Sean said.

“Actually, we don’t really know that.” Hank said, “I mean, how well did we know her? Yeah she stayed with us, but she wasn’t really part of our group. She was mostly on the sidelines, relaying information to Charles and Erik. She’s human, and her job is CIA. She really doesn’t owe us anything.”

That hadn’t really occurred to Sean before. He’d liked Moira, but she had mostly just seemed polite (he liked to admire her from afar, and even he could tell that she wasn’t really interested in him like that). If push came to shove, would she really choose them over her job? She didn’t have a reason to side with them over anyone else. Yeah maybe she liked them, but her job was important, everyone could see that. She mentioned on more than one occasion how hard she had worked to get her job, how she had battled against every man telling her it wasn’t something she could do because she was a woman. Would she really just cast that aside for them?

Sean couldn’t confidently answer ‘yes’ to that question.

He sighed and slumped down on the table, face pressed into the cool wood. Who was he kidding? She was dangerous to them, all of them, and Charles had acted accordingly. Now the threat was eliminated without anyone getting hurt. It was honestly the best outcome they could have hoped for.

It sucked, but that was how it had to be.

“What I’m a little pissed about is that Charles didn’t include us in the decision.” Darwin said, “He could have told us before-hand, so we could have said goodbye or something.”

“Yeah, that was kind of a dick move.” Alex said, “I mean, we’re not children.”

Hank cleared his throat, “He meant well I think, but you’re right. He and Erik are the _de facto_ leaders, but we should have been included in this kind of big decision.”

“We should have at least been able to say goodbye.” Sean said miserably. Darwin patted his back in sympathy.

“There’s nothing we can do now.” Hank said, “She doesn’t have her memories of us. She can’t get to us and we can’t get to her. All in all, it’s probably for the best.”

They sat in long silence, not looking at each other. Darwin made coffee and poured some out for everyone, but no one made a sound. They all jumped a little when a voice entered their heads.

 _Hank, we need you down in Cerebro._ Charles insisted,  _I'm afraid it's urgent._

Hank sighed and rubbed his eyes, "Duty calls." he said.

 

* * *

 

“So, now what are we going to do?” Janos pondered, twirling his cigarette in his fingers, “We’ve lost our ace in the hole to the other side, and a member of our own ranks, who knows valuable information about our operation. We’re definitely screwed, even Shaw could see that.”

“That man can barely see around his own ego.” Azazel huffed out with a lungful of smoke, “What he does see he twists to justify his own agenda.”

Janos grumbled, “We should have gotten out after Cuba.” he groused.

“Probably.” Azazel agreed. Still, Shaw had been an enticing prospect for the world, and for Azazel’s plans. An all mutant world meant more mutant women, and therefore more concentrated options for him to put his plan into action. As it was, finding human women strong enough was a chore and mutant women were few and far between.

Again Azazel thought back to Irene and what she had said about the blue female on the beach. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to leave Shaw and investigate her. A mutant who could change her shape, imitate anyone, right down to their voice? Now that was an interesting prospect. He recalled how he had been fooled by her perfect impression of Shaw; she hadn’t just imitated his body, but his presence as well. All that from just meeting him once? Very impressive. Azazel was also thinking more and more about her natural form, and how he had been quite interested in her on a physical level. Human women were lovely enough, but she had been unique. He had never encountered someone like her, who, in all honesty, reminded him of himself. A narcissistic perspective, obviously, but with a shred of truth. He could imagine the hardship she faced, looking the way she did, always hiding herself, wearing skins that weren’t her own in order to pass under the radar. He thought back to the paints he kept in his room that he used to cover his red skin. Every time he dabbed the gooey mess onto his face, covering his red skin, he felt like a traitor. He wondered if she would sympathize with him.

“Azazel? You still in there?” Janos called, blowing smoke in his face.

Azazel scowled and fanned away the smoke with his tail, “Fuck off.” he hissed, tapping away his ashes and taking another drag, “Anyway, getting out now would require getting around Frost, and she’s been a raging bitch since we lost the other two.”

“No kidding, it’s like she’s permanently on her rag.” Janos chuckled a little, “But she’s not really powerful enough to stop us if we just up and leave. And Shaw can’t really spare the resources he would need to track us down.”

“Valid points.” Azazel said, but something niggled at the back of his mind, “Could you leave the children though?” he asked.

Janos didn’t say anything for a long moment, then swore loudly, “They’re just some fucking kids. We kidnapped them. Why should we care?”

“We shouldn’t.” Azazel said, blowing out smoke in a long sigh, “But even we aren’t heartless, not completely. I’d rather not think of what Shaw would do to the poor things if we left him unchecked. Even Frost would have difficulty witnessing that, and she hates children.”

 _I do not hate children._ came an icy voice, _I simply prefer adults._

“Your mother ever tell you to keep your nose out of conversations where you’re not wanted?” Janos growled.

 _No, actually. In any case, I doubt leaving Shaw will be good for any of us. Not only is he strong enough to kill all three of us put together, but crossing him now would only see him tracking us down and killing us in the most painful way possible._ Emma explained.

“Fantastic.” Janos said sarcastically, “So now we’re stuck with a mad man who’ll kill us if we step out of line.”

 _It appears so_. Emma crooned, sounding pleased with herself. Still, Azazel could detect an undercurrent of something he’d never encountered from Frost.

So even she was beginning to have regrets? Fascinating. He had been certain that Frost was dedicated to her master, and only to him, but maybe he’d been mistaken. He’d never known her before he’d met Shaw. Had she been a victim as much as the other one, Erik, and simply not able to flee like he had? How interesting. Azazel pondered if he could use this to his advantage.

 _What are you thinking about in there, demon?_ Emma prodded, trying to see around his walls and tricks.

“Nothing important.” he lied easily, “Just about those girls.”

“The girls?” Janos asked, “The seer and the bug girl you mean?”

“Yes. I was just thinking of how Shaw must be eager to get them back.” Azazel purred, leaning back in his chair, tail flicking lazily at his feet.

 _Those stupid girls never should have left. They should have known better than to cross Shaw._ came Emma’s scathing words. Azazel could taste anger and jealousy in his mouth, just subtle enough to miss if you weren’t looking for it.

 _You wanted to go with them, didn’t you?_ Azazel projected smugly. He got the mental equivalent of nails on a chalk board and then the sensation of a slamming door. He growled and rubbed his temples to stave off his newly formed migraine. Frost really knew how to make an exit.

“What was that about?” Janos hissed, nursing his own headache; apparently Frost hadn’t discriminated with her grand exit, “What crawled up her ass?”

“Doubt.” Azazel said, grinning wide and flashing his sharp teeth. Janos raised an eyebrow skeptically, but they were abruptly interrupted when the PA system screeched to life.

“Get ready to move.” came Shaw’s voice over the tinny speaker, "I won't have our operation being slowed down by this little . . .  _set back_. We still have some targets lined up. Prepare to retrieve them."

Azazel puffed out his last lungful of smoke and crushed his cigarette. Plotting would have to wait for another time, now they had a job to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first bits of the breaking of Shaw's ranks. Emma in the comics is a super badass, but her origin is actually pretty sad and heartbreaking. I think she's a bit similar to how I've done Angel so far, but she's been locked into the abuse for longer and doesn't know how else to function. Still, I can't wait to do more with her and really bring out more about her.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man am I on fire with these chapters or what? If only I could work this well on my novel. I'm having so much fun with this.

Irene wandered around the house, not having anything to do after Erik had abruptly left her after she’d told him about the children. She would be needed again soon, with Erik and Charles wanting to find the other children before Shaw got to them, but Irene knew that there wasn’t anything to be done. Shaw would get his hands on the children whether they moved now or tomorrow or a week from today. The only difference to be made was in how severe the trauma would be for the children. Irene closed her eyes and let herself be pulled into the spider-web visions of the future.

In the immediate future, she saw pain and fear and despair; these children would come out of their ordeal traumatized and emotionally scarred. However, for most of the children, it didn’t seem to last a long time, and their bright futures stretched out before Irene’s eyes like glittering threads. The thing with her visions was that she tended to pick up on those who would have important roles in shaping the future, so those were the sort of names she had given Shaw, rather than some other random children. That, and Shaw had wanted to get back at the ones who had foiled his first plans for mutant supremacy over the world.

Irene opened her eyes, though it didn’t really cause her ‘sight’ to change. She put her hand back on the wall and started walking the halls again, mapping out the house that would one day be a home for hundreds of young mutants.

“Irene?” came a voice from off to her side, “Are you okay?”

“Fine Mystique, just exploring.” Irene said, smiling, “It’s a very lovely home.”

“Thanks.” Mystique said automatically. She came up to Irene’s side, “Did you want me to give you the tour?” Irene could hear the smile in her voice.

It was so tempting, to let the two of them fall into intimacy, but Irene knew she was pushing too close to the sun. Mystique needed Azazel before she needed her, and the world needed the result of the red and blue mutant’s union. Irene knew it needed to happen, but she’d spent her entire life waiting for Raven, knowing in her mind that that the two of them were the closest thing to soulmates that existed.

“I’m alright Mystique.” Irene said, forcing the words out with difficulty, “Why don’t you go talk to Angel? She needs help.”

Mystique’s disappointment was palpable, and Irene nearly changed her mind, “Okay.” she said, “I’ll see you later I guess?”

“Sure.” Irene said, smiling in Mystique’s direction, “Later.”

Irene listened to Mystique’s receding footsteps, comforting herself by pulling up her favorite vision of the future; herself and Mystique, hand in hand, walking through the school grounds, a child running ahead of them. It was familiar to her, one of the first real visions she’d ever had, and she often used it to comfort herself in hard times. But the vision was placed many years from now, and in the interim, Mystique needed Azazel.

Irene took a deep breath and started walking again, trying to figure out the map of the house before she had to leave. It would be best for everyone if she left as soon as possible.

 

* * *

 

“You wanted to see me Professor?” Hank asked, descending the stairs to the underground facility. Only the Professor used the elevator, and only out of necessity; it was slow and rickety, so no one liked to use it, including Charles.

“Yes, we’re going to try and find the children that Shaw is after before he gets to them.” Charles explained, meeting Hank at the bottom of the stairs, “We’re going to see if Cerebro can give us something.”

Hank nodded and fell into step next to the Professor. He didn’t offer to push Charles’s chair for him, knowing that he preferred to do it himself if he could. He really only tolerated it from Erik or Raven.

Erik was impatiently waiting near the door, tensely pacing back and forth. Hank could hear the minute shifts in the metal around them as it flexed and reacted to Erik’s emotional state. He wanted to ask what had set Erik off, but he was afraid that he might get his head ripped off if he did.

“We’re going to start with the Maximoff twins.” Charles said, “I want you close by in case we need to recalibrate.”

Hank nodded, “Should I come in with you or stay here?” he asked.

Charles glanced over at Erik, who had stopped pacing, but was still tense and impatient, tapping his fingers along his biceps, “Stay out here. I’ll contact you if I need you.” Charles said.

Hank glanced at Erik and gave another nod, “I’ll see if I can tweak it to be more sensitive to younger minds.” he said. He glanced at Erik one last time before turning and going down to the main frame.

Erik yanked on Charles chair and pulled him into Cerebro, throwing open the doors with his powers, “Really Erik, I know you’re impatient, but you don’t need so be so rough.” Charles griped, but without much heat. He could still feel the rolls of anxiety and rage coming off the German mutant in hot, curling waves.

Erik didn’t say anything, but Charles could feel his grip on his chair loosen slightly. He wheeled himself into position and started up Cerebro, placing the cumbersome helmet over his head, “Don’t move.” he instructed his friend.

Erik stayed still as Cerebro flashed to life. The lights that indicated every mind on the planet flickered to life around them. Charles closed his eyes and concentrated on the mutants, and then the younger mutants.

“You said they were about four?” Charles questioned.

“Yes, they’d be about that age.” Erik answered, eager to find the two children. He had to keep them out of Shaw’s hands.

Charles nodded and limited his search to the criteria; four years old, mutant, and fraternal twins, a boy and girl. Twins, he’d discovered, always had a distinct mental link, no matter how far apart they were, or how long it had been since they had seen one another. It was stronger between identical twins, but it was still detectable between fraternal twins. With this, he should be able to find the Maximoff children.

After a few minutes, he’d managed to pick out only those who fit the criteria. There were a surprising amount of fraternal twin mutants; he wondered if it was something about the mutant gene that made twins more likely; a question for another time, perhaps. He concentrated a little more and ruled out a few of the possibilities.

“It’s hard to tell which ones are the right ones.” Charles said, “If I had more to work with maybe . . .”

“Try looking in the US only, I think I remember Magda’s sister leaving for America.” Erik said, leaning forward over his friend, “If I know Magda, she would have gone to what remained of her family.”

“There are a few in the US, but I can’t be sure.” Charles said, sifting through each mind. Young children were so hard to get a read on, “Anything else you can give me?”

“I don’t think so.” Erik said, “I think she mentioned the DC area, but I don’t really remember.”

Charles turned his attention back to Cerebro, focusing on the DC area. There was a set of twins that fit out there, but they were in Alexandria, not DC proper. Charles tried to get a better look at them. They seemed normal from what Charles could see, living with their ‘parents’ (Magda’s sister perhaps?) and going about their daily business.

“There are some children out there, but I don’t know if it’s them.” Charles said, “Can you see them?”

“A little.” Erik said, watching the flickering light, “Can’t you focus harder?”

“This isn’t exactly an exact science Erik.” Charles said, “If I focus too hard, I might hurt them.”

Erik grumbled, “Wait, try and focus on their guardians. Maybe it’s Marya and her husband.” he said.

“Good idea.” Charles said, _Hank, can you recalibrate for adults?_ he projected.

 _Can do._ Hank replied. The lights of the children faded slightly as the adults around them came into better focus, _How’s that?_

 _Perfect, thank you Hank._ Charles projected. He pulled back to take a closer look at the two guardians of the children. A man and a woman, both human, and seemingly normal enough at Charles first sweep over their minds. Cerebro was not exact, and didn’t actually allow him to read minds from a distance without intense focus. If he tried, he ended up with nosebleeds and severe migraines, as they’d learned over the months. The person on the other side of the telepathy could end up seriously hurt, as Moira had fainted during an experiment they had been conducting together. Still, Charles could detect minor surface thoughts, and even pull up a foggy image to project around the spherical room for others to see. It was really a marvel of modern technology.

Charles pulled the images of the couple up for Erik to see, concentrating hard to make them as clear as possible, “Do you recognise them?” he asked.

Erik searched the images intensely. It had been a few years, and both had put on a significant amount of weight, but it was definitely Marya and Django, “It’s them.” he confirmed.

Charles relaxed and let the image slip, “Good. We’ll get in touch with them and try to keep them safe.”

Erik stood back and nodded, staring off into space; his mind was reeling from the last few hours. He had two children, they were within a long car drive of his person, and they were in mortal danger from the man who had ruined his life in the first place.

A hand on his arm brought him out of his intense mood. Charles looked beseechingly up at him, “We’ll get to them and protect them.” he promised, “We won’t let Shaw get to them.”

Erik looked in Charles’s eyes and saw the resolution there; he drew himself up, drawing on the determination that had gotten him through the worst times in his life and nodded, “We should get moving. We can reach them by tomorrow morning if we leave right now.” he said.

Charles shut off Cerebro and took off the helmet, “We should bring along one of the others, just in case we run into trouble.”

“Mystique.” Erik decided, “I trust her.”

Charles wanted to contest it, but he couldn’t bring himself to. Erik didn’t trust easily, so for him to admit his preference for Mystique so easily was a testament to his trust in both Mystique and Charles. He wanted to keep Mystique out of harm’s way, but then again, that had nearly driven her mad with resentment not too long ago. He decided to keep his mouth shut.

They left the basement with Hank and prepared to leave for DC. _Raven, we need you. Pack an overnight bag._ Charles called to her, easily finding her in the huge house. She seemed upset for some reason, and she didn’t even have a comment about his unsolicited dip into her mind. Either way, she met them in the garage as they were putting their bags into the car.

“What’s going on?” she asked, throwing her bag in with theirs and climbing into the passenger’s seat.

“We’ll explain on the way. We’re heading to Alexandria, just outside of DC.” Charles said, “Some of the children Shaw is targeting are there.”

“Great! Why aren’t we taking the others?” Mystique asked, buckling in whilst Erik helped Charles in the back seat.

“That’s what we’ll be explaining on the way.” Charles said.

Mystique rolled her eyes and slumped back in her seat, “Fine, be cryptic.”

“Pietro and Wanda Maximoff are my son and daughter.” Erik said as he climbed into the driver’s seat, “We’re going to get them before Shaw does and keep them safe.”

Mystique sat in silence for a long moment as Erik started the car and pealed out of the garage. They were nearly to the end of the considerably long driveway when she finally snapped out of it.

“Well _shit_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Doot doot, next time we meet the Maximoff family.  
> I know that Marya isn't Magda's sister, but in DoFP, Pietro makes that comment about his mother knowing someone like Erik. I read a different fanfic that put the two as sisters, and in the comics, Magda just sort of hands the babies off to Marya and Django unceremoniously (at least in the version I'm familiar with), implying that she sort of knows them. So here I've made them sisters, which lines up with Pietro's comment in DoFP, and isn't far removed from comic cannon.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentines! Kinda. I don't really celebrate Valentines that much. I don't think I would even if I had a boyfriend/girlfriend/gender neutral date. So instead I finished up this chapter for you guys! Hope you enjoy it!
> 
> There is some discussion of slurs in this chapter, but I hope I did it in a tasteful manner. It's mostly recycled from discussions I've actually had with other people about these words. I'm not the final authority on it, so take it with a grain of salt.

“So you were married?”

Erik sighed, “Yes, I was married. After the camps were liberated and I escaped Shaw, I met up with an old friend. We got married shortly after.” he explained, keeping his focus on the road.

“Damn.” Mystique said, staring at Erik, “I never really pictured it from you.”

“I had a life before this whole mess, you know.” Erik said, “Magda and I were happy for years before we separated.”

“You make it sounds so civil.” Mystique said. She hadn’t been given the entire story, only what she needed to know, but she was intuitive enough to know that Erik wouldn’t have gone on a murderous revenge suicide mission after settling down in a happy life without some sort of traumatic experience to set him on that path.

The car was quiet for a while. Erik had expressed his dislike of music while he drove, so there was nothing to fill the empty spaces between conversations. Charles was grateful for the silence; ever since his accident, he’d started getting car sick over long drives. He wasn’t sure why, or why he didn’t get airsick, but music always made it worse, unless it was something slow and mellow. Mystique tended to like upbeat, pop and rock type music, which gave Charles a headache without the car ride.

“So your wife, she was Jewish like you?” Mystique asked after a long time. She couldn’t help but be curious. Charles admitted privately that he was pretty curious too.

“She was Romani.” Erik said, “But her clan did follow Jewish faith. So technically yes.”

“Romani? Isn’t that another word for gypsy?” Mystique asked.

“Not really. ‘Gypsy’ refers to most nomadic groups of Europe, and is actually a slur. Romani people are just one group. There are also Sinti and Pavee people who are considered Gypsies.” Erik explained.

“Gypsy is a slur?” Mystique inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Erik shrugged, “Usually. In the same way that ‘Jew’ is a slur. It depends on how you use it.”

“I didn’t know that.” Mystique hummed, plopping back into her seat, “So how long to Alexandria?”

Charles shuffled the map around, “Should be another two hours.” he said.

Mystique turned in her seat to look at her brother, “So what are we going to do when we get there? Just walk up to the front door and tell them that Erik is the father of their kids and then, after that little bombshell, tell them that the kids are in mortal danger?”

“Thank you for the dramatics Mystique, but the family knows Erik, and most likely knows he’s the father of the twins. The rest will take some work, but I think we can manage it.” Charles said.

“Marya knows about my powers, so that part will be easy.” Erik said.

“She knows? How?” Charles asked.

Erik didn’t answer for a moment, “I saved us from being executed, back when we were liberated. They were going to put bullets in our skulls, and I deflected them.” he said, sounding a little strained. It was still hard for him to pull up memories from his past.

Mystique and Charles exchanged a glance and said nothing else on the clearly sore subject, “So she knows you and about your powers. All we need to do is convince her that the kids are in danger.” Mystique said, “Piece of cake.”

“Shaw knows them by name only, that’s all he was able to get out of Irene.” Charles said, “So we have a breather before he comes after them. We should bring them back to the mansion to protect them.”

“Marya and Django will have to come too.” Erik said, “If Shaw shows up to find the kids gone, he’ll take it out on them.”

“Taking in humans? I thought was against your beliefs.” Raven teased.

Erik glared at her, “I don’t hate humans en mass, I hate oppression, and humans who perpetrate it or do nothing to stop it.”

“You tell yourself that.” Mystique said, sitting back down again. Erik rolled his eyes and focused on his driving.

The rest of the car ride was mostly silent, with a few pockets of small conversation. It seemed wrong to try and make light of the situation, especially with Erik so focussed. Charles could feel the hardened resolution every time he brushed against his mind; he knew that, this time around, he wouldn’t be able to stop Erik from killing Shaw. At this point, however, Charles was inclined to let him do it without fuss. Shaw was clearly dangerous and unhinged, and attempting to capture him alive would require resources they didn’t have, that he suspected no one in the world had. Capturing Shaw was not an option, not without putting a lot of people that Charles cared about in serious danger.

They finally arrived in Alexandria; it was a quiet little suburb filled with quaint little homes and quaint little families. They had managed to get an address from the phone book, so finding the right house wasn’t a problem. Erik pulled up in front of the house, with ‘Maximoff’ painted across the mailbox, and stopped.

“This is it?” Mystique asked, leaning over Erik to look at the house, “It’s nice. Looks like a good neighborhood.”

“Yeah, must be nice.” Erik said absently.

Charles started to unbuckle his seat belt, “Well, let’s go in and speak to them.” he said.

“Wait.” Erik said, “I’m going in alone.”

“What? Why?” Mystique asked, sounding rather annoyed.

“It’s personal, Mystique.” Erik said, “Just wait out here for me.”

Mystique looked like she was about to argue, “He’s got a point Raven.” Charles said, “Let him talk to them first.”

Mystique scowled and sat back in her seat; she hated being left out of things, but she realized that she was being a little defensive. She had a deep desire to prove herself, to show everyone, especially Charles, that she wasn’t a little girl anymore and she could take care of herself. She watched Erik’s broad back as he approached the quiet looking house.

Erik’s heart was pounding in his chest. It had been years since he’d seen Marya, and he wasn’t sure of her opinion of him anymore. Magda must have come to her after she had left him; what had she told Marya? Would she even listen to him? Would she let him see his children at all? These questions were almost enough to stop him on the front steps of the house; only the eyes of Raven and Charles watching him kept his feet moving forward. He betrayed nothing as he leaned forward and rang the bell, even though he felt like he was seconds from a total breakdown.

After ten agonizing seconds, he heard and felt the lock on the door slide open, pulling back to reveal a face he’d nearly forgotten. Marya had aged since he’d last seen her, with lines around her eyes and mouth making her look remarkably like Erik’s memory of her and Magda’s mother. It also softened her sharp features, making her prettier than she’d been as a younger woman. Age and motherhood seemed to suit her, both in her face and the way she carried herself. She’d put on a lot of weight since Erik had seen her last, but then again, they’d all been starving at the time. Her grey-green eyes stared into his for a moment, then widened with recognition.

“What are you doing here?” she hissed, closing the door a little, as though to use it as a shield between her and the man on her doorstep.

Erik came back to himself and drew his shoulders up, tall and intimidating (unintentionally, it was a force of habit for him), “You know why.” he said, voice low and even, “Are they here?”

“How did you find out?” Marya asked in lieu of answering him.

Erik waved the question off, “That’s not important right now.” he said, “I need to speak with you.”

Marya looked like she was about to make a sarcastic quip back at him, but she stopped and searched his eyes. He tried to make himself look as honest and sincere as possible, but he probably just made himself look even more scowly and angry. She sighed and opened the door to let him inside.

“I don’t really forgive you for what you did to my sister.” she said as she closed the door behind them, “But I don’t blame you for what happened. Anya was such a sweet girl.”

Erik forced down the throb of pain in his belly at the memory of his little girl, “Where are they now?” he asked.

“Out at the park with Django. The library is putting on an event.” Marya explained, “They should be home in an hour or two.”

Erik is almost afraid to ask, “Are they . . . do they know about me?”

Marya took a deep breath and lead him to the kitchen where she started bustling about, making coffee for two, “Yes and no.” she answered after a long pause, “They know that Django and I aren’t their biological parents, but they don’t know who their real parents are. They’re only four.”

Erik nodded and accepted the coffee she held out to him. Taking a slow sip, he deliberates over how to proceed next, “Magda . . . did she hate me all the way to the end?”

Marya groaned and sat down, “I’m not going to spare your feeling and say no.” she said, “She was afraid of you, of what you could do, and nothing I could say made any difference.”

“You spoke in my defense?” Erik raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Marya waved her hand dismissively, “I knew more about it than she did. I know that you can’t always control it, and that your emotions dictate what happens sometimes. Your baby girl was murdered, anyone would be angry enough to kill the people responsible. I would.” she said. It was so casual that Erik was hardly sure that the words had come out of her mouth.

“Don’t mistake me, I’m still deciding on whether or not I can trust you.” she eyed him suspiciously, “But your . . . ‘gift’ saved our lives back then. We’d both be dead if it wasn’t for you, so I owe you that much.”

“Thank you.” Erik said automatically, at a loss for anything else. An easy silence drifted over them; Marya and Magda had always been the only two people in the world that he felt comfortable and relaxed in silence around, though that group had recently expanded to Charles as well.

“My sister was always sensitive.” Marya went on to say after the long pause, “It’s a miracle she survived the camps all those years ago. If I hadn’t been there for her, if I hadn’t been looking after her, I don’t think she would have lasted a month.”

“She was always a little nervous.” Erik agreed, “To kind and sweet and trusting for her own good.”

Marya let out a little hum of agreement and they lapsed into silence again. Erik drained his coffee and leaned back in his kitchen chair. He took a deep breath and stared hard at Marya.

“I’m not the only one of my kind.” he stated bluntly, “There are others like me. Others with ‘gifts’.”

Marya looked up at him, “Are you sure?” she asked.

“There are two people waiting in the car I arrived in. The girl can change her shape, and the man can read minds.” Erik explained, “I’ve seen them do it.”

“So not exactly like you, but still a little like you?” Marya clarified.

Erik nodded, “We’re called ‘mutants’, or that’s the name we’re taking for ourselves. We’re the next step in the evolutionary chain.” he said.

Marya turned the information over in her mind, “Are there just the three of you?”

“There are hundreds of us.” Erik said, almost proud, “And our numbers are growing all over the globe.”

Something clicked behind Marya’s eyes, “Wanda and Pietro.” she breathed, almost inaudible.

Erik nodded, “We believe they might be in danger.” he said, “Do you . . . do you remember what I told you about the man who kept me at the camp?”

Marya looked at him oddly, “A little bit, why?”

Erik took a deep breath, hoping that the woman in front of him believed him enough to let him take her and the children away into his protection, “He’s after people like me, children like me. He found out about Wanda and Pietro and he’s coming for them.”

“What?” Marya looked horrified, “How did he find out?”

“That’s not important right now, we can explain later. You need to come with us to a safe place.” Erik said, leaning across the table and taking her wrist in a strong grip, like he was about to drag her away that very moment.

“What? We can’t just pack up and go, we have lives here Erik! Jobs!” Marya protested, though she didn’t yank her hand back, “What the hell am I supposed to tell Django? ‘My brother-in-law wants us to uproot our lives and come with him to part unknown’? Yeah that’ll go over well.”

Erik resisted the urge to raise his voice, “We’ll figure it out along the way. We don’t have time right now.” he said, “I promise we’ll explain everything when we can. Bitte Marya, für die Kinder.”

Marya wavered a little, staring in Erik’s pleading eyes, “We’ll need to pack.” she said, “We’ll have to wait for Django and the kids to get home so we can pack up their things. Wanda won’t sleep without her pillow and Pietro refuses to eat anything if it’s not in his blue bowl.”

Erik nodded, absently stealing away the little tidbits of information about his children, “We should leave as soon as possible. Is there any way to call him?”

“I guess I could call the library. No wait, that whole area went down for maintenance yesterday.” Marya said, “And Django has the car.”

“We can drive over and get him with ours.” Erik said, finally standing, “Come on.”

Marya followed him, determination set behind her eyes, just the same way as he had seen all those years ago when they had been struggling to survive. She grabbed her coat and keys and trotted behind him out to the car. She hopped right in and got herself situated before she even acknowledged the other people in the car.

“Hello, I’m Marya Maximoff.” she said with a polite smile.

“Charles Xavier.” Charles mirrored her smile, “Sorry we had to meet like this.”

Marya waved her hand dismissively, “Can’t change it now.” she said, “Go straight down this street and take the first left.” she instructed Erik, leaning over the back of his seat.Mystique turned in her seat to stare at the newcomer, “So you knew Erik back in the day?” she asked.

Marya gave Mystique an appraising look, “Yes, I knew him.” she said.

Mystique grinned wickedly, “What was he like?’ she asked.

Marya raised an eyebrow and Erik and Charles both sighed loudly at the exact same time. Mystique didn’t seem to notice and just continued staring at Marya, eagerly awaiting whatever embarrassing stories she had about the imposing man next to her.

“Later Mystique, we have more important things to worry about right now.” Erik growled, keeping his eyes on the road, “Which way from here?”

Marya directed him through the sleepy suburb, her voice the only thing breaking the tense silence in the car. Mystique looked like she wanted to fill the silence, but Charles gave her a hard stare when she turned in her seat the second time and tactfully stayed quiet. As they approached their destination, they noticed a plume of smoke rising ominously into the sky.

“There wasn’t supposed to be a bonfire.” Marya said, watching the dark grey cloud twist in the wind.

Erik felt his heart seize in his chest, “We’re too late.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The worst thing about being a reader? When authors torture you with cliffhangers. The best thing about being an author? Torturing readers with cliffhangers.
> 
> Again, Comics/Movie canon fusion; trying to make all of the stuff I want to include fit as nicely as possible.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was gonna go longer, but I ended it because it was on such a good note. No worries, still more to come. Reading week is next week, and I only have one paper to write, so I should have plenty of time to get more chapters done.

“So where exactly is our target?” Azazel drawled, twirling one of his blades around in his hands. They were being sent out to get some more brats, but Shaw was being extra twitchy about it this time.

“At some kind of park.” Emma said, “A lot of kids, a lot of books and reading paraphernalia.”

“You couldn’t get anything more specific, my dear?” Shaw said calmly, but with an edge that made Emma want to cower like a little girl and beg to be forgiven.

She stayed tall and cool, “She escaped before I could extract anything else.” Emma said, “She was getting better at hiding things from me as fast as I was getting better at ripping them out of her.”

Shaw let out a hum that gave Emma chills, but said nothing. She wasn’t sure if she would be punished later or not; it had been so long since he’d punished her, she figured she’d outgrown it. He’d been angry at her when they’d lost Angel and the precognitive, but he’d stopped at verbal punishment. The faded bruises and broken bones ached as she contemplated what Shaw might do to her if she failed again. She shook it off and drew up her courage.

“I’ll go in with Azazel and Whirlwind. I’ll read the minds of the people around town and see what events for children are happening. No paper trail.” she said. A risky gambit if they failed to get the children, but it would bring her back into Shaw’s good graces if she succeeded.

Azazel and Janos shared a discreet glance, but didn’t otherwise react. If Emma was this eager to please him, then Shaw must have been really pissed.

Shaw considered it for a long moment, “Alright, but be careful.” he said, “Erik and his little band must know about them by now, so we need to move quickly. I want these children, and moreover I _don’t_ want Erik to get to them, understand?”

“Sir?” Janos asked, not quite sure he comprehended what Shaw was asking them to do.

Shaw leaned forward, “If you can’t get the children alive, then leave behind their corpses.” he said.

The air in the room seemed to go still. Shaw had never asked them to kill any of the children before, so this came out of left field. Azazel and Janos shared another look, but Emma stared straight ahead, benignly looking slightly to the left of Shaw’s chin, not challenging his gaze.

“I-if I may ask, sir.” Janos said, and Azazel internally winced at what was sure to come, “What’s special about these two? If it’s because they’re twins, we have the little French ones.” he said.

Shaw glared directly into Janos’s eyes, staring him down, “That’s none of your concern, _Riptide_.” he hissed, “Now go before I lose my patience with you.”

They didn’t scurry as they left, but that was only because they were all professionals.

Azazel smacked Janos upside the head once they were far from Shaw’s ‘office’, “Durak, are you trying to get killed?” he snapped.

Janos growled and elbowed Azazel in the chest, “Vete a la mierda, we’re not comic book henchmen, we deserve to know.”

“You were about ten seconds away from getting your head blown off, Glupyy.

“Boys, stop playing with each other for a minute and get your things.” Emma breezed, heels clicking on the dank concrete floors. Even in what looked like a torture dungeon, she still managed to look like a queen, “I want to get this over with as soon as possible. We need to bring those children in alive.”

“Or kill them.” Azazel muttered, running his thumb across the blade in his hands.

“ _Alive_.” Emma said again, forcefully, “I’m not letting them slip through my fingers.”

“Not while Shaw is still angry with you, eh Princesa?” Janos purred, leaning in to say it over her shoulder.

Emma whipped around so fast that Azazel might have sworn she teleported. She fixed her thunderous gaze on Janos and watched as he collapsed on the ground, clutching his head, mouth open in a silent scream of agony.

“ _Don’t cross me_.” she hissed, “I don’t need to justify anything to you. I can break you with a thought. I’m more powerful than you could ever imagine.”

Janos writhed and convulsed for another moment before Frost was satisfied. She let him go and he heaved onto the floor, gagging up bile and gasping for breath. She looked down her nose in disgust and stalked onwards. Azazel spared a glance for the other man and sauntered behind her.

“Such power.” he purred, sidling up to her, “And yet you continue to be obedient to a man like Shaw. Such a conundrum.”

An icy touch in his mind alerted him just in time to teleport away, breaking her hold, “Ah ah ah may dear, none of that.” he said, now several feet in front of her, “I won’t fall to your tricks as easily.”

Emma narrowed her eyes at him, “You seem to have enough power to go against Shaw, and you’re always scheming something in that smoke filled brain of yours. Why do you stay?” she asked bitingly.

Azazel shrugged his shoulders, “Bored mostly.” he said. It wasn’t the whole truth, but it was what had drawn him to Shaw in the first place. He’d spent so long waiting for that one twisted mind to come along to stir things up _just right_. He still had a healthy fear of Shaw, he’d be stupid not to, but it wasn’t enough to either keep him where he was or send him packing. He stayed because he wanted to know. He was _curious_.

Emma tried to stare him down, but she gave up. Trying to get into his mind was like trying to hold smoke with your bare hands, and she didn’t have to skill to make him sit still long enough. There had always been something odd about Azazel, something otherworldly, but she’d initially brushed it off as his looking like a biblical devil; anyone would be a little thrown. More and more she was coming to suspect that there was more than met the eye about the demonic mutant. She squared her shoulders and walked past him.

“We’re behind schedule, let’s get going.” she said. Behind her, Janos had finally caught up; she could feel his glare on the back of her head.

A sudden pop of compressed air at her side and the smell of sulfur assaulting her nose was all the warning she had before a red hand gripped her wrist tightly.

“Kak vy khotite, Belaya Koroleva.” Azazel breathed hotly into her ear, and she had just enough time to brace herself as they were suddenly halfway around the world in an instant.

 

* * *

 

 

Alexandria was a disgustingly picaresque portrait of suburban American life. Emma instantly hated it.

They found an empty house to hole up in; the owners were away on vacation, a few quick trips into the minds of the neighbors confirmed. Azazel took stock of the resources they had on hand and Janos made sure all of the windows were shuttered and the doors were locked. Emma went to the phone and dialed the numbers with delicate taps.

 _“You arrived safely?”_ Shaw said in place of a greeting.

“Yes. We’re not far.” Emma said, reaching out with her powers, touching the minds around her, “It’s a library function of some kind. Some drivel to keep the brats entertained on a Saturday.” she said.

 _“Hm, not exactly a great place for a kidnapping. Get closer, isolate the children, and have Azazel teleport them directly out of there.”_ Shaw instructed.

Emma didn’t like the idea of being left behind, even if Azazel’s teleportation was near instantaneous. It left her vulnerable, and she hated being vulnerable; she knew better than to argue however, and kept her mouth shut, “Yes I under— oh.” she cut herself off when her mind struck something she hadn’t been expecting.

 _“Emma? What is it?”_ Shaw asked impatiently.

Emma gently touched it again, careful not to alert the other to her presence. The second time confirmed it, “Xavier is here.” she said, closing her eyes and feeling the blue female’s deep thoughts and Lehnsherr’s sharp as nails mind nearby, “Him and Erik are both here. Adler must have told them.”

A chilling silence was all that came from the other side of the line, _“Send Azazel back for me, I’m coming along on this one. I’m not losing these ones.”_

“Yes.” Emma said, just as Shaw hung up on her. She snapped at Azazel and kept her focus on Xavier, keeping him from sensing them. She suspected that he wouldn’t think to look for her (stupid, naïve man), but she wanted to keep an ‘eye’ on him all the same. If it came down to it, she might win a fight against him if she went into her diamond form (he was crippled now, she remembered, not much of a struggle to overpower him there), but there was no way she would be able to sustain a mental battle with him. While clearly less practised in offensive mental tactics, he far outstripped her in power and simply had to overwhelm her to make her submit.

Emma Frost would not submit to any man.

 _No man but Shaw_ bubbled a traitorous thought inside her. It had been growing in her for a while, but she hadn’t given it much consideration. _But she could—_

Emma was cut off from that train of thought as Azazel returned with Shaw in tow. He took a few steps toward her and she refrained from taking any steps back, “Do they know we’re here?” he asked.

Emma shook her head, “I’m keeping an eye on him, but so far he hasn’t realized. I’m blocking us just in case.”

Shaw smiled fondly at her (it didn’t reach his eyes, it never did), “That’s a good girl.” he said. Emma didn’t preen under the praise, disgusted in herself for wanting to.

“We have a limited window of opportunity.” Shaw said to the room at large, “Let’s get these brats and get out of here.” there was something in his grin that made Emma suspect something else was on the agenda, but she didn’t dare try and go into Shaw’s mind.

“Emma and I will go into the crowd and spot the children. Then Janos will create a distraction, causing everyone to panic and scramble. Emma will isolate the children and then Azazel with grab them, and we’ll all meet back here. Make sure you aren’t followed, and don’t let yourself be caught on camera. We don’t want our faces plastered up all over the place.” Shaw explained. He didn’t wait for everyone to agree or ask questions; he took Emma’s arm and walked her out the front door, tucking her hand into the crook of his elbow. To anyone looking at them, they looked like a normal, if well dressed, couple.

The park behind the public library was thankfully only a short distance away, so it didn’t take them long to get to it. Emma checked in on Janos, following behind and circling around to the other side of the park, while Azazel stuck to the shadows, just barely noticeable to Emma, and only, she suspected, because he let her.

They were noticed straight away, their stylish clothing setting them apart from the middle class mummies and daddies that were wandering around the park, circling their grubby brood like lazy, stupid sheep. Emma forced herself to put on a smile as they were approached by an elderly woman, maybe into her late sixties or early seventies, in a horrendous paisley shawl, her thin glasses dangling on an equally thin chain.

“May I help you?” she trilled, a dopey smile on her wrinkled face. Emma could practically smell the ‘kindly old librarian’ vibe coming from her. She blinked owlishly at them, not recognising them from her usual flock of suburbanites.

Emma smiled brightly and clung to Shaw like a chipper twit, “Oh don’t mind us.” she chirped, “Shawn and I were just looking around the neighborhood and we thought we’d drop in. We’re thinking of moving here after our honeymoon. Isn’t this park just lovely darling?”

Shaw slipped into form as easily as she had, “Yes dear.” he said with an air of ‘disinterested male trying to please his overexcited girlfriend’. He looked out over the green field, looking bored, but really scanning for two little children.

The little librarian instantly brightened and flashed them a genuine smile; Emma wanted to rip her thin little lips off her face, “Oh aren’t you two just precious.” she squeaked, “You’re going to love it here. It’s a great place to raise a family. There are schools and parks all over, and of course there’s the library.”

The thought of having children of her own made Emma want to cut out her uterus with a fork, “Oh isn’t that just lovely.” she said, saccharine sweet, “And what’s this little event you’ve got going on here?”

The librarian, properly fluffed now, waved them closer to the general hubbub of the park, where the screaming children were running around with their sticky, dirty little faces and finger, carrying all sorts of bacteria, “This is the library ‘Back-to-School, Last-Barbeque-of-the-Season’ event. We have it every year, and it’s to celebrate the little ones going back to school in a few weeks. Isn’t it nice?”

“Charming.” Emma forced out.

The woman didn’t notice Emma’s discomfort, “We always have it on the second to last Saturday of the month. When the church did it, years ago now, it was always on the second to last Sunday, but when the library took over, we changed it to Saturday.” she leaned in to whisper the next part, “We didn’t want to be blasphemous.”

“How fascinating.” Emma said, smiling so hard her face was starting to hurt, “Isn’t it, darling?”

“Yes dear.”

“Speaking of, we have a lot of churches in the neighborhood as well. There used to be just the little Catholic chapel, when I was a little girl, but then after the war a bunch of Jews moved in and built a little church of their own.” the woman sniffed, like the word ‘Jew’ left a bad taste in her mouth.

“Synagogue.” Emma said, unable to force it down.

The woman looked startled, “I’m sorry?”

No backing out now, “The Jewish temple of worship is called a Synagogue, not a church.” Emma explained. She enjoyed the way the woman’s mouth twisted unpleasantly.

“Yes, _well_.” she snipped, having the nerve to look offended, “They mostly live out to the west of the library. The east is still a nice place to live.”

Emma was so close to just ripping what she wanted out of this little old bat’s mind, but Shaw’s harsh grip on her elbow stopped her, “What can you tell me about the families here?” she asked.

Now they were getting back on track; the little woman launched into exposition, rattling off each family she spotted and information about them. She gave them everything short of their social security numbers. Emma was almost as bewildered by the amount of trust this stupid woman placed strangers in as she was in how much she seemed to know about the families.

“—and that’s Django Maximoff and his little hellions. I swear, if he knocked some sense into them a little, they’d be much better behaved. That wife of his could learn a thing or two about respecting her husband as well. But I suppose you can’t expect much from the likes of them, a Jew _and_ a Gypsy, if you can believe it. If you ask me, people like that should stay in Europe where they belong. This country doesn’t need riff raff like that, influencing the children. Now the Millers on the other hand—“

“Thank you, but we’d like to go have a look at the festivities now, if you don’t mind.” Emma cut her off.  She flashed her an airy smile and made a show of tugging Shaw along. As they left, Emma dipped into her mind to erase the memory of their faces.

 _Little hussy all dressed up like a whore. Must be more of that Euro-trash influence._ the spiteful little wretch thought as Emma pulled their faces out of her mind. She had to stifle a self-righteous smirk; for all she thought herself a paragon of purity and virtue, that woman was just as hateful and despicable as any true-believer Nazi.

Django was standing with a few other fathers a ways away from the squalling children. Emma glanced around and instantly spotted the children they were looking for. Pietro’s white hair was a beacon among the other children, and he never strayed far from his dark-haired sister. Emma watched them closely, as did Shaw; they had to get them away from the crowd quickly.

 _Tell Janos to strike._ Shaw ordered, squeezing Emma’s elbow.

 _Not yet. If we cause a scene now, the parents will run straight for their children. You need to distract the father._ Emma said back.

Shaw did not like to be corrected, but he was nothing if not an intelligent man. He gave Emma one last, painfully tight squeeze and walked off to chat up the fathers. Emma sneakily avoided getting accosted by the mothers (not that they seemed to want her to come over and talk to them, with the way they eyed her chic, fashionable clothing. Bitches wouldn’t know style if it shit on their perfectly manicured front lawns) and sat down on a relatively clean picnic bench, watching the children. Gently, she reached out to the little beasts.

 _Come to Auntie Emma~_ she coaxed, _You want to come and sit with me~_

Outright manipulation was too difficult to do to children without hurting them, so gentle suggestion was all she could do. However, small children were also naïve and trusting, so a suggestion was all they needed to come toddling over.

Pietro arrived first, followed quickly by Wanda. Looking at them up close, they were actually quite attractive children. They didn’t look much like their father, for all he was a very handsome man, but they were cute in a way that suggested they would be good looking adults. They stared up at her with wide, curios green eyes, he only thing about them that might suggest their connection to Erik. Emma put on a sweet, benign smile.

“Wouldn’t you like to come with me?” she said, leaning forward a little.

The two of them looked at each other and seemed to communicate silently, the way twins did, then smiled up at her, big and toothy. They reached out their hands for her to take.

Emma felt a sudden wave of guilt. When she took their hands, she would have to deliver them to Shaw, who would torture them in unspeakable ways in order to unlock their powers. They hadn’t done anything to deserve their fate, only that they had been born to the wrong family. Their lives were about to be destroyed and Emma was going to be the one to do it. She glanced up to where Shaw was standing and chatting with the adults, charming them. He was obviously holding back his condescending nature to them, as they were laughing and talking amiably. Shaw though of humans as pawns to be used and discarded and finally eradicated when the time was right. He thought of everyone in the same way, really, nothing but tools for his own plans or amusement. Emma was at his right hand only because she had been powerful enough and smart enough to outlast the other pretty little things that he had acquired. Angel had nearly usurped her place, and only by undercutting and proving herself all over again had Emma retaken her throne. But what was a throne if it was made of all the people cut down to get there?

“Miss? Are you okay?”

Emma snapped out of her train of thought, looking down at the two children. Wanda was the one who had spoken, putting a tiny, chubby hand on her knee in an attempt to comfort her. Emma abruptly stood, nearly knocking the two of them backwards.

“I’m fine.” she snapped, then schooled herself, “Come along, I want to show you something.” she said, holding out her hands, suggesting mentally that they take them.

As the tiny hands found hers, she sent out the message to Janos and Azazel. After a breath, a large whirlwind ripped through the picnic area, whipping anything that wasn’t strapped down into the air. People began shouting and running, confused and scared. A cooler knocked into one of the barbeques set up around the park, tipping it over and setting fire to a table. Emma gripped the hands in hers tightly, in case they decided to run. Instead, the two frightened children clung to her, trusting her to take care of them. Emma nearly flung them off. A concussive noise next her alerted her to Azazel’s presence. She shoved them both in his direction and their eyes locked for a moment. There was an instant of understanding, of knowing what they were doing. Emma squeezed her eyes shut and when she opened them, Azazel and the children were gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm having a lot of Emma feels lately. She's a boss ass bitch, but there's so much sads in her origin. I love character introspection.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's reading week and I have all of one paper to write. I was also in bed all day today in horrible pain because biology is a raging bitch. So you get this. I would have put some actual phrases of Romany in the text, but google translate doesn't have Romany as an option. Anyway, if you want to know what the non-English phrases are, just plug them into a translator.
> 
> Trigger warning for a rather traumatic death scene.

Emma didn’t have much time to think about what she had just done, as Shaw appeared by her side in an instant. He gripped her elbow and wrapped an arm around her waist, a gesture that was probably meant to be affectionate, but just made her feel trapped.

“Good work my dear.” Shaw purred, leaning in to kiss her cheek, “Now let’s make our escape, shall we?”

He tugged her along and Emma followed stiffly. Janos sent another whirlwind to cover them, the air howling as it ripped through the park a second time. It would only be later that they realized that this had been his last mistake.

Apparently, the good citizens of Alexandria weren’t as stupid as Shaw had led himself to believe. One man, an off duty cop attending with his kids, saw Janos as he sent up another small hurricane, feeding the spreading fire. In a panic, the man had drawn his concealed gun and let off a shot. It was most likely meant to be a warning shot, but with the chaos around them and the sheer unbelievability that someone (or some _thing_ ) could be doing this muddled his brains and his aim, and the bullet landed somewhere in Janos’ ribcage.

Janos let out a strangled cry as the bullet ripped through him, shattering his ribs and shredding his lung. The twisters stopped abruptly as he collapsed to the lawn, clutching his side. Emma stopped and watched in horror as the people around them started to calm down and coordinate now that the source of the confusion was removed.

 _Azazel! Get us out of here!_ she shouted with her mind, _Get Janos!_

Azazel appeared at Janos’s side and then disappeared in quick succession, but not quick enough for people not to notice. A moment later, he appeared by their side and grabbed them; Emma braced herself as they lurched from where they were standing to halfway around the world in a fraction of a second.

They were in the ‘medical’ room of the new base, with Janos lying on the table, moaning wetly in pain as his lung filled with blood. Azazel stepped around them and started yanking at Janos’s shirt. The Hispanic man let out a pained shout at the rough treatment.

“Blyad'! Emma! Calm him down!” Azazel ordered, finally slicing open the fabric with a discarded scalpel. The blood on his red skin looked odd.

Emma jerked out of her horror after a moment and rushed forward to help. Or she would have if Shaw would let go of her.

“Sebastian, what are you—? I need to help.” she protested, trying to struggle out of his grip.

“Azazel, step away.” Shaw ordered, not acknowledging Emma’s struggling in the slightest.

Azazel looked up, clearly affronted, “He needs medical attention. I need to get the chertov bullet out!” he said, just short out shouting.

In a split second, Shaw stepped forward and backhanded Azazel, sending him flying across the room. He hit the concrete wall with a painful thud and crumpled to the ground. Emma yelped in surprise, but didn’t move to help him, rooted to the spot.

Shaw leaned over Janos, who was still groaning in obvious pain. He gurgled something in broken Spanish and reached out for Shaw, for help, for something. Shaw wrinkled his nose and pressed a hand the Janos’s chest.

“Failure won’t be tolerated.” he said, and he pressed down on Janos’s ribs.

The little amount of air remaining in his lungs left with a cough and a spray of blood from his lips as he scrambled to fight off Shaw. It was ineffectual as Shaw pressed harder, using his mutant power to absorb the weak blows from the dying man and keep his chest from expanding and sucking in the desperately needed oxygen. Emma and Azazel were both frozen in horror and terror, watching their comrade be mercilessly executed in front of them. Janos’s blows became weaker and weaker as the look in his eyes became wilder and more frantic. Emma could hear his mind rail against the pain and panic, trying with all his might to make sense of the situation.

She couldn’t stand it.

 _Calm down. It’s alright._ Emma soothed, reaching out to him, no matter how much she wanted to turn away, to shut him out, _Go to your happiest place. Relax, it will be okay._

Janos resisted her for a moment, still in a panic, but he didn’t have the strength to keep it up, and Emma was overtaken for a moment by the memory of strolling down a Mexican beach, the taste of fruit on his lips and the sun on his back. The sound of the ocean was calming and the laughter of his sisters was delightful. It was peaceful and it was calm and it was exactly where he wanted to be.

Emma gasped as she brought herself out of Janos’s mind. Or rather, as it faded into darkness as he slipped from consciousness into unconsciousness. Emma felt it fade quicker and quicker until it was gone, like a flame being snuffed out, with not even smoke to signify that it had ever been lit.

Shaw took his hand off Janos’s chest and went to the sink to wash his hands, “Well, _that_ didn’t go to plan.” he grumbled, sounding annoyed, like what had just transpired was an inconvenience, “But at least we have the children, right Azazel?”

Azazel was staring intensely at Shaw, expression unreadable. Emma could feel the rage pouring off of him in hot, burning coils. For a moment she was afraid he would attack Shaw.

“Azazel?” Shaw prompted, and just like that the rage was tempered; not gone, but stored away for another time.

“They are put away.” he said, his accent curling around his words, voice tight and controlled.

“Good.” Shaw said, smiling, “Take this mess to the incinerator. We don’t want to leave any evidence behind.”

“Yes sir.”

Shaw finished drying his hands and walked out, unhurried, unaffected, not in the least bit concerned about what he’d just done to one of their own. Emma was still rooted to the spot, frozen and desperately holding back her emotions. She waited until his footsteps on the concrete floors could no longer be heard and crumpled in on herself, gasping sobs escaping like a flood.

“I oni nazyvayut menya d'yavolom.” Azazel spat, coming around the table to press his fingers to Janos’s neck, to make sure, “Dazhe cherti verny sebe podobnykh.”

Finding nothing but the corpse of a man he knew, Azazel left him and turned to Emma, who had curled herself into a corner, crying and ruining her perfect make up. Taking pity on her, he crossed the room, limping slightly, and knelt next to her.

She looked up at him and once again they had a mutual understanding of the situation, a reflection of what had transpired only minutes ago when she had handed him the children. Azazel reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, and she leaned into the touch. They passed a moment in silent solidarity, holding each other’s gazes steadily. Emma turned away first, collecting herself and furiously cleaning her face free of tears.

Azazel stood, “I’ll take him to his sisters in Mexico.” he said, “They’ll give him a proper burial.”

“Good.” Emma said, getting up on shaky legs. She reached into her purse and pulled out a pen and her chequebook. Azazel obediently held still as she scrawled a meagre sum and a signature of Dolores Sorrello (the kindly, imaginary grandmother of one of Emma’s various hidden identities) down and tore it off, “Give this to the, for the funeral arrangements.”

Azazel took the cheque and tucked it into his breast pocket. He set about stripping the body of its ruined clothing, washing the blood off and trying to conceal the damage as much as he could. Emma turned and left the room; someone had to make sure that whatever money and assets that Janos had would be turned over to his family, and Shaw would never think of anything as useless as family or next of kin.

 

* * *

 

 

Erik had barely stopped the car before he’d launched himself out of it, Marya hot on his heels. He ignored Charles’s call to wait, to slow down, to not throw himself headlong into danger that might get him killed. He was going to be too late, he was going to miss his window of opportunity, _he was going to fail his children once again._

The arrived to a scene of chaos and confusion; there was a picnic table on fire, masses of screaming and crying children running around, and a herd of adults trying to corral them and get them to the proper guardian.

“Django!” Marya called, running into the fray, a blaze of terrifying determination and protective instincts, “Wanda! Pietro!?”

“Marya!” came a voice, attached to a man about the same age as Erik. He had dark hair and a dark beard, tan, weathered skin, and frightened hazel eyes. Marya ran to him and wrapped her arms around him, “I can’t find the kids.” he said, panicked, “I can’t find them. Vony pishly, ya ne mozhu yikh znayty!”

Marya said something in Romany that Erik missed. His Ukrainian was rusty, but he knew what had happened. He got between Marya and Django and grabbed him by the shirt, lifting him off the ground.

“You were supposed to _protect them_.” he hissed, fighting off the urge to pummel Django’s face in, but only just barely, “ _You let Shaw take them_.”

“Erik! Enough!” Marya shouted, grabbing his arm and yanking hard enough for him to drop Django, “Get a hold of yourself!” she hissed, looking around in alarm.

Erik realized that he was floating every metal implement in the area, in plain view for everyone to see. The already terrified townsfolk were struck dumb, watching him in confused fear. It was the same expression that Erik had seen on the faces of the villagers of Vinnitsa, hours before they had attacked him in his own home, burning it and his child to the ground. He growled and released his grip, letting everything fall to the grass. He turned and stalked away, back to the car. He needed to calm down or he would drive any metal he could find right through Django’s head.

Charles and Mystique passed him as he stalked away. Mystique moved to go after him, but Charles gripped her hand and shook his head.

“Leave him be.” he warned, “Let’s go see how we can help Marya.”

Mystique nodded and pushed Charles around the side of the library to the scene of chaos. Charles winced at the confusion and panic that every mind was saturated in. They made their way over to Marya and a man they assumed was Django.

“Who the hell was that?” Django hissed, looking shaken, not noticing the arrival of the other two.

“That was Erik Lehnsherr, Magda’s husband.” Marya explained, “Come on, we have to—“

“That was the guy that Magda ran for her life from? I can see why. The guy’s crazy!”

“Django please, we can talk about this later, right now we need to know what happened.” Marya pleaded.

“We can talk about it right now! Why the hell was he here? How the hell did he find us!?” Django continued shouting, switching to Romany, prompting Marya to switch as well. Charles and Mystique just stood on the side lines, watching them fight.

Django threw up his hands and stormed off, leaving Marya behind him. She shouted obscenities in every language she knew at his back, waving her fists and stomping her feet. She paused for breath and swayed a little, red in the face; Mystique darted out to catch her. They led her to a bench and sat her down, even as she grumbled in what sounded like the oddest mix of Romany, Ukrainian, German, and snippets of English.

“What was that all about?” Mystique asked, rubbing Marya’s back as she heaved air into her lungs.

“The children are gone.” Marya said, “They must have been taken.”

Mystique and Charles shared a look; Charles reached out with his mind, searching for something, anything, to indicate that the children were still in the vicinity. From what he managed to gather from the distressed minds around him was that a Hispanic looking man (Whirlwind) had sent up whirlwinds to tear the picnic apart and then a devil (Azazel) had spirited him away. There was also precious little information about a man in a suit (Shaw) and a woman dressed in white (Frost), but there was no sign that they were anywhere in the area, even with Charles stretching his powers to the limit of their capacity.

Shaw had captured the children.

Tentatively, Charles reached out to Erik, finding him in a state of rage and terror and guilt. He curled around his frantic psyche and did his best to soothe him. Erik gave him the mental equivalent of a cold shoulder and Charles retreated, figuring that it was probably best to leave him on his own for the moment to process.

Marya ran her hand through her hair, pushing it back out of her face. She took another shuddering breath, “Erik didn’t tell me the whole story.” she said, “But he said that the man who tortured him at the camps was the one after the kids?” she looked at Charles, eyes hard and determined.

Charles nodded and she took a deep breath and stood, “What can I do to help you bring this bastard down?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am a sadistic, evil person and I love it. I'm going to have to add a 'graphic death scene' tag up there, holy shit.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter might have come sooner, but life kind of came down hard on me and I got a little discouraged. I'm still at it though, and I'll try to have another chapter out soon. A great big kiss to all of the people who're reading this, either for the first time or if you're following me chapter by chapter. Love ya!
> 
> Sex scene ahead!

The drive back to Westchester was quiet and tense. After they had left the park, they had gone back to Marya’s home for her to pack some things. Charles had wondered about her husband Django and why he wasn’t accompanying them, but he didn’t push for answers. Erik sat stiff and silent in the back with Charles, letting Mystique drive them. The telepath could feel the barely contained distress roiling under Erik’s calm surface. He tried several times to draw the other man into a comforting mental conversation, but Erik was getting better a shutting him out. No one said a word throughout the entire drive home, even when they finally arrived back at the mansion in the late hours of the day.

Erik got out and disappeared around the side of the house so quickly that Charles nearly missed him. He let out a forlorn sigh and let Mystique help him into his chair.

“We’ll have a room set up for you.” he said to Marya, “But we should talk about the other people who live here before you go inside.”

Marya looked up, “What do you mean?” she asked, raising an eyebrow, “All the people who live here are like you and Erik, right? Mutants?”

Charles nodded, “Yes, and no. We’re all mutants, but not all of us are, well, ‘built’ the same way.”

“What does that mean?” Marya asked, starting to get a little irritated; it had been a long and stressful day and she wasn’t interested in playing around.

Charles glanced up at Mystique and gave her a nod. She straightened up and switched to her blue form, scales glinting in the dying light. Marya let out a little noise of surprise, eyes going wide with shock.

“Oh. ‘Built’ different. I get it.” she said, blinking a little stupidly, “Um, are there more like that?”

Mystique bristled at the wording, “Yes, there are others like _that_.” she spat.

Charles put a hand on her arm to calm her down, “There’s a young lady with insect-like wings and a young man covered in blue fur.” he explained, “We know this is a lot to unload on you at the end of such an awful day, but we just want to prepare you.” he said.

Marya nodded, “I understand.” she said, still looking at Mystique. She picked up her bags, “I’ll try to be respectful.”

“Thank you.” Charles said. Mystique glared for another moment before turning and pushing his chair up the ramp and into the house. He took over once they were on the even floors and made his way to the elevator. Once he got Marya settled in a guest room, he went straight to his bedroom. He was tired and he wanted to sleep; he would figure out what to do in the morning.

After the laborious process of washing and changing for bed, Charles hardly got a few hours of sleep before he was awoken by a distressed mind in his vicinity. He rolled over to see a large figure sitting at the end of his bed in the darkness.

“Erik?” Charles rasped, voice sleep-rough, “What are you doing?”

“Couldn’t sleep.” the other man said; even without reading his mind Charles could see that Erik was clearly agitated, “I didn’t know who to go to.”

Charles dragged himself up onto his pillows so he was upright, “We’ll get them back.” he said, “Tomorrow we’ll ask Irene where he’s holed up and we’ll take the fight to him.”

Erik let out a gusty sigh and leaned forward, putting his head in his hands. He was as tense as a bowstring and Charles could see his leg bouncing. A rattle on the nightstand told Charles that Erik was unintentionally moving around the coins and keys he’d left there. He reached forward and put a hand on Erik’s shoulder; the other man flinched, but then relaxed and leaned back into the touch. Encouraged, Charles sat forward and rubbed his back, pulling him close in a slightly awkward hug. Erik let out another shaky breath and leaned into Charles, all but burying his face into his shoulder.

“We’ll make it okay.” Charles promised, voice a whisper, “And we’ll make Shaw pay for what he’s done.”

“We can’t allow him to live.” Erik said, eyes shut, “He’s too dangerous to let live.”

“I know.” Charles said, pulling Erik closer, resting his cheek on top of his head. He closed his eyes; it had come to this, and Charles knew that his optimistic idealism would only put more people in danger when it came to Shaw.

Erik twisted his body and wrapped his arms around Charles. They stayed that way for what felt like hours, wrapped around each other, trying not to fall to pieces. Charles did his best to ignore the way Erik’s breathing was shaky and his whole body was trembling, like he might break into tears at any given moment. After a long time, Erik pulled back and looked up into Charles’s blue eyes, his own grey-green orbs wet with unshed emotions. Impulsively, Charles brought a hand up and stroked Erik’s face, thumb running along his strong jaw. A glance toward his cherry coloured lips was all it took for the two of them to converge.

Erik tasted like scotch, Charles noticed as their mouths pressed together fiercely. He must have gotten into the stash in the library after they had come home. Charles didn’t mind, he knew that it had been an especially hard day for Erik, and the taste of scotch was a welcome change to the fruity, girly drinks his usual partners preferred.

Erik pressed against him more firmly, tilting their heads to kiss more passionately. Charles moaned and pulled Erik backwards so they were lying on the bed. Erik crawled over top of him, slinging one leg over Charles’s hips and pressing their pelvises together. Charles moaned into his mouth and thanked his lucky stars that he was only partially paralyzed and still had most of his sensation down there. The only snag was that he couldn’t move against Erik, and had to rely on him to do all of the work.

Erik didn’t seem to mind so much, yanking at their clothes and carelessly tossing them aside. Charles pulled at Erik’s turtleneck and tugged it over his head, breaking their kiss. For a moment, they stared into each other’s eyes, and Charles was gripped by the sudden fear that Erik would come to his senses and leave. Contrarily, Erik surged forward and began biting and sucking marks into Charles’ neck, causing him to moan loudly. His hands came up to feel the heated skin of his back, fingertips tripping over the multitude of old and new scars that littered Erik’s whole body. It was hard to see in the darkness, but Charles could feel how much pain Erik had suffered bodily over his lifetime; he wondered how much of it was at the hands of Shaw.

Charles gasped as he was yanked unceremoniously out of his rumination by Erik licking at his nipple while he thrust his hand down into his pyjama pants. His upper torso arched into the touch, but his lower half remained frustratingly still. He growled loudly enough to cause Erik to start pulling back.

“No no, don’t stop, just—“ Charles growled, reaching for Erik, “You’re just going to have to do the work, yeah?”

For a moment it seemed like things were ruined, but Erik nodded, “Tell me what you like.” he said breathily.

Charles took a moment to process that this was actually happening, “Put my legs around your waist.” he demanded, impatient to start. He didn’t want to spare one moment of this.

Erik obeyed, grabbing Charles’ limp legs and tucking them around his waist. He ground their still clothed erections together, hissing at the friction. Charles gasped and reached down to work on getting their pants off. He got as far as exposing both of their erections before Erik sat back to help shuck the last of their clothing away. Laying a kiss Charles’ thin white ankle, he propped his legs on his shoulders and thrust their erections together.

“Ah! G-god Erik!” Charles cried out, panting and thrashing out with his hands. One ended up on the back of Erik’s neck while the other wrapped around their cocks. Slicking the way with their combined precome, he jerked them off in time with Erik’s thrusts.

“Oh, Charles.” Erik groaned, his grip on his thighs tight enough to leave bruises. He leaned down for a fierce kiss, their teeth knocking together briefly before Erik checked himself.

Their tongues slipped against one another as their movements became more frantic, panting into one another’s mouths. Bright blue stared into grey-green depths, hoping to convey all of the emotion bottled inside. They stayed that close, even as their pleasure mounted and began to tip them over the edge.

Erik came first, his hips stuttering forward and letting out a deep, growling cry; Charles followed him shortly after with a strangled shout, riding out his orgasm and Erik’s with his hand barely stopping. They heaved as they came down, Erik gently collapsing on top of Charles and Charles wrapping his arms around Erik’s broad torso. After a few moments, Erik started to pull away.

“Don’t—“ Charles nearly protested, but all Erik did was rearrange them to be more comfortable, picking up his discarded shirt to clean off their sticky bellies. He laid back down with his head on Charles’ chest, ear pressed over his heartbeat.

In a flash, Charles understood what Erik needed, and buried his fingers through his short hair, stroking in the most soothing way he could manage. If he felt any wetness on his chest, he’d swear up and down the next day that it was drool or sweat.

 

* * *

 

 

Charles was awoken when he felt the bed shift; he groaned softly and opened his eyes to see Erik sitting on the edge of the bed, a mirror of the night before, but this time with a lot more skin on display.

In the morning light, Charles could see the extent of the scarring over Erik’s body. He sucked in a breath, trying to discern the sheer amount of damage that had been done. White and pink lines of varying thickness ran crisscross over his back, shoulders, arms, and chest. Charles could see knife slashes, stab wounds, bullet wounds, burns, and all manner of different kinds of injuries. It was a wonder that Erik was still standing after all he had been through.

Charles shifted on the bed and Erik’s head snapped up, “Did I wake you?” he asked.

“No, it’s alright.” Charles said, pushing himself up so he was propped up on the pillows. It was easier for him to sit up that way.

“I was just getting up to make breakfast.” Erik said, turning away from Charles to stare listlessly ahead, “We should all eat something before we get to work.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Charles said, watching Erik with a discerning eye. He seemed faded, worn out somehow, like the vibrancy he usually radiated with an impassioned intensity had drained out of him. Charles wanted to reach out and comfort him, but he wasn’t sure if Erik would even accept it right now.

Despite announcing his plan to get up, Erik stayed where he was staring off into space. Charles couldn’t help but peek into his mind, just to gauge him. What he found wasn’t unexpected; confusion, loss, anger, and a sense of having been misdirected off of a clear path. It was a far cry from the usual passionate hyper-focus that Charles had become accustomed to feeling from Erik. Whether it was a learned disposition, brought on by the nature of his life, or just simply the way he was, Erik always seemed to work best when he had a clear end goal, something to do, to work on and plan for. If he had any interest in the arts, he might have become a master within years of beginning. Charles felt that the best thing to do now would be to help steer him in a productive direction; namely, rescuing the children and stopping Shaw.

“We’ll ask Irene what she knows. She said that she would have a location soon. Once we know that, we can start planning an assault.” Charles said.

Erik seemed to come back to himself a little, “Right.” he said, “She said she’d have something by today.” he stood up and started gathering his clothes, putting them on as he went, “We’ll have to move quickly, we don’t want him to move again. We outnumber him now, but he’s still a very powerful mutant, we’ll have to put in more training.”

Charles held back a smile as he watched Erik pace and make plans to topple Shaw. The colour seemed to come back into his face as he calculated their next moves. If there was one thing Charles was grateful for, it was that Erik was on their side, working with them. He always put everything he had into what he was doing, no matter what it was. It wasn’t surprising that he’d survived this long, in spite of all that had happened to him. When Erik Lehnsherr was determined to survive, he would survive, no questions about it.

“Charles?” Erik asked, watching him curiously, “Are you alright?”

“Hm? Yes, I’m fine.” Charles said, snapping out of his reverie, “Can you help me dress? It’ll go faster that way and I’m quite starved this morning.” he’d worked up a sweat the night before, so he wasn’t surprised that he was so hungry.

Erik strode over to the antique wardrobe and began picking out an outfit for Charles for the day. They finished dressing quickly and Erik lifted Charles and put him in his chair. Before he could pull away, Charles cupped his jaw and kissed the corner of his mouth. Erik seemed stunned for a moment, but his eyes softened and he turned his head to kiss back.

They parted after a long moment. They stared into one another’s eyes, searching for what they had both lost and desperately needed back; home, warmth, affection, love. Charles smiled and pressed their foreheads together.

“I was worried it was only me.” he said, bringing his hands up to grab hold of Erik’s muscled forearms, “That I was the only one who felt like this.”

Erik nuzzled into Charles and didn’t say anything for a moment, “You shouldn’t have worried.” he murmured finally, “You’re the one thing that makes sense in this world to me. I don’t think I would make it without you.”

Charles wrapped his arms around Erik’s shoulders and pulled him close, letting his head rest on his shoulder. The angle was slightly awkward, but neither paid attention to it. They didn’t speak, they didn’t need to, they both knew what had passed between them.

With one last kiss, Erik stood and used his powers to wheel Charles out the door. They had work to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're finally together! Yay! I kind of imagine them as just sort of knowing that their relationship has progressed and not needing to talk in depth about it, at least not right away. We'll probably get more introspection later, because that's the kind of thing I like to write.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, you might have noticed that I've changed most of the places where it says 'Raven' to 'Mystique' throughout the story. It was always supposed to be Mystique, but I just automatically typed Raven without realizing it. Whoopsie. Anyway, I went and fixed it so it's more in line with Mystique/Raven's story and character arc.

“Shaw’s moved to Madripoor.” Irene said as Charles and Erik entered the kitchen, “In an old army bunker that he purchased a few years back under an assumed name. It was originally where he planned to spend the fallout of his nuclear strike on the world.”

Charles blinked, “Thank you Irene. We’ll inform everyone. In the meantime, I think it’s time for breakfast.” he said.

Erik stepped around the table and began collecting the things he would need to make omelets for everyone. Until it was time to act, it was something to do with his hands.

Charles suppressed a smile at the sight of Erik bustling about the kitchen. It never failed to surprise him how domestic he could be while still retaining his air of power and dignity. He wondered if it was just the way he saw Erik, or if the others felt the same way.

“We’re going to have to start training again. We’ve grown lazy.” Erik said as he cracked eggs two at a time into the pan, using his powers to control the spatula, “We no longer have the advantage of surprise. He knows what each of us can do, and how well we can do it.”

“True, but Shaw has taken a few hard blows in the last few days.” Irene said, “We now severely outnumber him, and his own crew seem to be plotting a mutiny.”

This was a surprise, “A mutiny? Why?” Charles asked.

Irene grinned, “Wait and see.” she said. Erik barely restrained a growl.

Irene was saved from having to elaborate further with the arrival of Marya; she looked like she hadn’t slept at all. Her eyes were red and her curly hair was a mess. She smiled half-heartedly at Charles and sat next to Irene.

“Hello Marya.” Irene said, turning to her, “I’m sorry about the children, but I assure you that you’ll see them again.”

Marya blinked, startled, “Oh, uh, thank you.” she said. She was obviously off-put by Irene’s eyes and the way she seemed to know her name already.

“This is Irene Adler.” Charles said, “She escaped Shaw and helped us find you.”

Marya thought for a moment and then turned to Irene, “So, does that mean you’re . . . like them?” she asked.

Erik wanted to lash out at her wording, but he tempered himself. It wouldn’t do any good to alienate the legal guardian of his children, not after he’d only just found them.

“I’m a mutant.” Irene said, “I can see the future.”

“Oh.” Marya said, surprised, “I suppose that must be nice.”

Irene let out a hum, “I suppose.” was all she said on the subject. This would be the only time she would ever meet Marya.

Erik set down a few plates of breakfast and went about making more for the others. The smell would attract Sean and Alex, and wherever Alex was, Darwin was sure to follow. Mystique always woke up early and Hank was getting much better about being around the others. Angel was hit or miss; she would either be there or be gone. They were starting to feel comfortable around one another in a way that they hadn’t before Cuba, when they’d been so distracted that they hadn’t really thought much about bonding as a team.

Sure enough, Alex and Darwin wandered in a few minutes later, followed by a sleep rumpled Sean. They eyed Marya curiously, but Charles signaled that they would speak about it later. Mystique came in a few minutes after, fresh from her morning run, blue scales glinting with the faintest sheen of sweat. Marya smiled and greeted them all, but didn’t let her eyes linger on Mystique for too long; she was still getting used to the idea of mutants.

Erik finished cooking and went to pour himself some coffee, “Could someone get the milk for me please?” he called over his shoulder. He usually took it black, but when he had a stressful day ahead of him he liked to add a splash of milk.

“I’ve got it.” Marya said, standing up and heading for the fridge. As she pulled back, she nearly bumped into Hank, who had finally come up from the basement for breakfast. She let out a startled shriek and dropped the carton, spilling it across the floor.

“Oh goodness.” Charles said, putting down his paper and wheeling away from the table, “No worries, we’ll clean it up.”

“S-sorry. It just . . . surprised me is all.” Marya said, rushing to get a cloth to mop up the mess.

Hank tensed, “’It’ has a name.” he growled, a bit more aggressive than usual from staying up all night with nothing to eat, “Who exactly are you?”

“Marya Maximoff.” Erik said, “My sister in law. Marya, this is Hank.” the way he said the last sentence was like a reprimand.

Marya ducked her head a little, “He startled me, alright? I wasn’t really expecting a seven foot tall blue _cat_ to sneak up on me.” she said defiantly.

“Which is perfectly understandable.” Charles said with a finality that forbade any further argument, “Hank, please come sit down for breakfast.”

Hank looked like he wanted to turn around and go back down to the basement, but he stepped around Marya and sat next to Darwin at the table. If anyone saw Darwin subtly pat his arm in comfort, they didn’t comment on it.

“So what’s the plan for today?” Alex asked between shovelling eggs into his face.

Charles and Erik shared a look, “Shaw has captured two more children, and he’s moved his operation to somewhere in Madripoor. We’re going to find out where and then prepare for an attack.” Charles explained, tactfully leaving out the fact that the children captured were Erik’s.

“Mm-hm, and the elephant in the room?” Darwin asked, eyes drifting over to where Marya was sitting.

Erik, Charles, Mystique, and Marya all shared a long look.

 _Should we tell them?_ Charles projected into their minds, linking them up for a mental conversation.

Marya startled a little, _God that’s jarring._

 _Sorry._ Charles transmitted, _We can’t keep them in the dark. Hank already suspects something._

 _We’ll tell them only what they need to know._ came Erik’s voice in their minds, _That Marya is the mother of Pietro and Wanda and wants to help us find them, and that she’s my sister in law, which I already stated._

 _Sounds good to me._ Marya projected choppily, not used to having mental conversations, but catching on quickly.

 _I think they deserve to know that the kids are Erik’s. We shouldn’t hide that from them._ Mystique countered.

 _Raven._ Charles projected, curling around Mystique's consciousness like a protective blanket, _This is Erik’s decision. It’s his family, and it’s very personal to him. We can tell everyone later._

 _It’s not exactly a lie, we just won’t mention it._ outwardly, Erik took a deep breath, _if they figure it out, or if they ask, then I’ll say something, but otherwise, it’s my business._

 _And mine._ Marya said.

 _If you’re sure._ Charles projected a little apprehensively.

“Hey, are you guys talking in your heads? Rude.” Sean asked, more awake now that he’d ingested enough coffee to drown a horse.

“Marya is my sister in law. She’s the legal guardian of the children that were captured yesterday.” Erik said, drawing himself up to his full height (while he was sitting down at least), “She wants to help us find them.”

“Sister in law? You’re married?” Alex asked in disbelief.

“I was.” Erik said.

“So you’re these kids uncle? Harsh.” Sean said, shaking his head.

The room went silent for a long moment, with the four in-the-know exchanging another logn glance. The tension in the room was suddenly thick and cloying, so much so that everyone knew that something wasn’t being said. Erik simply stood and began collecting the plates to wash.

“We’re going to resume training with our powers. Shaw defeated us pretty spectacularly last time, so we need to be more prepared.” Charles said, deciding that a retreat was in order, “It’s going to take a lot more than luck to bring Shaw down.”

“Especially since we don’t have the CIA’s help anymore.” Sean said bitterly, glaring at Charles.

“But we’ve got something even better.” Mystique said, grinning brightly and turning to Irene, “Who needs the CIA?”

Irene chuckled, “I’m flattered Mystique.” she said, but then she looked sad, “But I’m afraid I have to leave today.”

 _That_ got everyone’s attention, “What? Why?” Mystique asked, looking stricken. She had been getting so used to having her around. It was like they were meant to be together.

Irene reached over and took Mystiques hand, stroking it lightly, “I just have to go.” she said, “I can’t say why, but I know that I can’t stay.”

“Back to Austria?” Charles asked, choosing not to notice how close the two women were.

“For the most part.” Irene said, turning her eyes on him, “I’ll be back eventually, but for now I have to go.”

Mystique wrapped her strong blue fingers around Irene’s frailer, milk-white ones, “Shouldn’t you stay longer? At least to rest and get your strength back up? You don’t have to tell us anymore about Shaw or the kids.” she said, trying not to sound like she was begging.

Irene just smiled at Mystique, “I have to go. I’ve already stayed too long.” she said, pulling her hands from Mystique’s, “Don’t worry, I’ll be back someday.”

“Someday soon?” Mystique asked hopefully.

Irene just smiled and stood up, “I need to go get ready. It’s been nice staying with all of you.” she said. She gave them one last smile and then left the room.

They sat in a slightly stunned silence for a moment. Mystique stood abruptly and stalked out, not looking at anyone. Charles let out a sigh and turned back to the table.

“So, we need to start training again.” he said.

 

* * *

 

 

Angel didn’t really have anything to pack, so she ended up just staring at the old canvas bag for a while. She’d put some of her cash into it, wrapped up with a rubber band, and some of the change she’d found lying around the gigantic house that no one would miss. She’d pilfered a few food items from the kitchen, which had also ended up in the bag, but that was about the extent of it. She’d come to the mansion with nothing but the clothes on her back and the cash stuffed away in various places on her person. It would get her as far as New York City with enough left over for a few nights in a cheap hostel and a couple of bites to eat. She considered taking a few nick-knacks to sell once she got the city, but she didn’t really feel like repaying Charles’ kindness by stealing his stuff.

A knock at the door made her jump. She didn’t have time to run and see who it was before Irene opened the door and stepped inside.

“Have you packed?” she asked, “We’re leaving soon.”

“We are?” Angel asked, raising an eyebrow. Irene just looked at her, “Of course we are. There’s isn’t much to pack.”

“I suppose there wouldn’t be, between the two of us anyway.” Irene said, “And Sean has his own bag. I guess we’ll just pick up things along the way.”

“Sean? He’s coming with us?” Angel asked.

“He will.” Irene said, “He’s still not sure, but he will.”

“Right.” Angel said, not sure about this turn of events. She’d planned to leave alone, without the company of others. Now apparently they were a trio.

Irene smiled and touched her arm, “Don’t worry, you’ll like Netherlands. It’s a beautiful country.”

Angel just stared at her, “it’s is so weird when you do that.” she said, causing Irene to laugh.

“We should get going. I need to talk to Charles one last time, then we should hit the road.” Irene said, “It’ll take us a while to get to New York, it’s going to rain.”

They sky had been blue and clear all morning, “If you say so. Is there anything you want to put in the bag?”

“I don’t have anything, but Charles will have a few things for us.” Irene said, “He’s too kind hearted for his own good.”

Angel zipped up the bag and threw the strap over her shoulder, “Well, let’s go.” she said.

Irene smiled and walked in step with her as they made their way down to the main entrance of the mansion. She stopped and seemed to be waiting for something, so Angel stopped as well.

“Irene? Angel? Where are you going?” came Charles’ voice as he and Erik stepped into the main hall, “You’re both leaving?”

“Yes, we’re going to New York.” Irene said, “But I was going to talk to you before we left. Just a few last details about Shaw’s whereabouts.”

Charles looked like he wanted to argue about the two of them leaving, but he kept it to himself, “Alright. Do you have—?”

“Pen and paper.” Irene said, pulling the aforementioned items from her pocket. She handed them to Charles and began rattling off the exact coordinates of Shaw’s hideout and how to get to it and what it looked like.

“It’s an old warehouse near the docks, easy to abandon via boat, but difficult to move a large number of people out without being noticed.” Irene explained, “It’s in an area that’s mostly abandoned storage and factories, so no one should see you that much, but it’s not that far from people that gunfire and explosions would go unnoticed.”

“Thank you Irene, you’ve been very helpful.” Charles said, “You’re really leaving? Both of you?”

“Yes, I can’t stay any longer.” Irene said. Charles turned his eyes on Angel, waiting for her explanation.

Angel shifted on her feet, “I’ve got some stuff to figure out.” she said, “I need to stand on my own two feet for a while.”

Surprisingly, it was Erik who nodded in understanding, “You’re always welcome to come back.” he said.

Angel didn’t really know what to say to that, but she nodded in understanding. For all the mistakes she’d made, she could still have a place here, if she wanted. She turned to leave, but saw something out of the corner of her eye. Sean was shuffling his feet in a corner of the room, deliberately not looking at them. Angel caught his eye and raised an eyebrow; she recalled what Irene had said.

“You coming or what?” she called, sounding a little impatient.

Sean looked up at her, looking a little confused. Still, he seemed to stop and consider what Angel was offering.

“I need to get my stuff.” he said, shifting from one foot to the other.

“We’ve got a minute.” Angel said. Sean just stood there for another minute before walking off down the hall. He returned a few minutes later with his backpack, just as Irene was wrapping up with Charles.

“Sean? What are you doing?” Charles asked, seeing the backpack.

Sean avoided his gaze, staying silent for a long moment. He took a deep breath, “Sorry Professor.” he said quietly, rushing the words out. He didn’t say anything else, but everyone could guess that it was about Moira.

Charles pressed his lips together in an effort not to lecture the young man. Erik rested a hand on his shoulder, “Go if you need to.” Erik said to him, “No one will stop you.”

Sean blinked a little stupidly, but he broke into a small smile after a moment. He turned and walked briskly to his room to retrieve his things. He must have been considering leaving for a while, rather than just a spur of the moment decision. He shouldered his backpack and rejoined the two women in the front hall.

Charles continued to not look very pleased about the situation, “If you’re all sure.” he said finally with a defeated sigh, “Do you all know where you’re going?”

“Europe.” Irene answered for all of them, “I’m going home, Angel is going to the Netherlands, and Sean is going to Ireland.”

“Do you have enough for plane tickets?” Charles asked, “Hang on, let me get my cheque book.” he said, pulling out his wallet and fishing around for a pen. He wrote out a rather large sum, more than enough for three tickets to Europe, and handed it to Irene, “That should get you started at least.”

“It’s more than enough Charles, thank you.” Irene said, “We should get going before Sean gets cold feet.”

Charles chuckled, “Of course.” he said, “We’ll hear from you? All of you?”

“Eventually.” Irene said. Sean just shrugged and Angel looked away. She didn’t owe Charles anything, not really.

“Well, happy travels I suppose.” he said, sitting back in his chair. Erik gave them a solemn nod and they turned to finally leave.

“Irene?”

They turned to see Mystique at the top of the stairs, watching them. Her yellow eyes were fixed solely on Irene, who was also looking up at her with her blind vision.

“Can you excuse us for a moment?” Irene said, dashing up the stairs to pull the blue woman down a more secluded hall, “I can’t stay.” she said quickly, breathlessly.

“I know.” Mystique said, “I just wanted to say goodbye.” she said, sounding sad to even her own ears.

Irene could see a future where Mystique left with them, right at this moment, and missing out on a lot of things that would make her the thing that the world would come to need in the future. Even with the knowledge, Irene was almost tempted to ask her along anyway. The desire to be close to her was so strong that almost superseded the needs of the entire future. Irene could hardly stand it.

“Zur Hölle mit ihm.” she hissed as she surged forward, cupping Mystique’s face in her hands and desperately pressing their mouths together in a passionate kiss. Mystique’s mouth gasped open in surprise, providing Irene with the perfect opportunity to dive in with her tongue. Mystique moaned and pressed back against her, strong arms coming around to encircle her torso. They stayed that way for a short eternity, lost in the sensations of being so close together and feeling the others pleasure. Finally Irene pulled back, chest heaving.

“I have to go.” she said, “I’ll see you again. I’ll see you again someday.” she promised, moving like she was trying to leave but not actually getting any farther away from Mystique.

Mystique just whined and tried to keep her grip on the other woman. Irene finally stepped away and turned down the hall, hurrying away. She stopped at the end, keeping her back to Mystique.

“A man is going to try and steal you away sometime soon.” she said, “You should let him.” and with that, she disappeared around the corner and out the door with the rest of her trio, into parts of the world unknown.

Mystique just stayed rooted to the spot, stunned. Absently, almost in disbelief, she brought a hand up to feel her stinging lips. She pressed down on where the skin had split from a misplaced canine tooth and shuddered, curling in on herself a little.

Down the darkened hall, Darwin and Alex just stared at one another, stunned by what they had just seen. Quickly, Darwin shoved Alex into an unused room to avoid being seen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really do love this ship. It's too bad that it's never going to be addressed in the movies. Cross you fingers for some better representation in the future. Lady-love 5ever!!!1!!!1!


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took longer than I thought it would. Sorry guys. I got stuck in a bunch of places and then I got busy. It's so hard to focus lately.

“So we’re down three people.” Charles said, rubbing his eyes as he and Erik walked (or in his case, wheeled) into his study to talk about what they would do for the coming battle with Shaw. They had all they needed to know about where he was and what his forces were, but they still needed to coordinate.

“Technically, we’re only one less than we were last time we fought Shaw.” Erik said, using his power to wheel Charles behind his large mahogany desk.

“Two less. Last time we had Moira.” Charles insisted, giving Erik a look. He loved the man, surely, but his attitude towards humans left a lot to be desired.

Erik only mumbled something in German that Charles didn’t catch, “We still outnumber Shaw’s forces, according to Irene.” he said, “He’s down to three, we number seven. Eight, if you want to count Marya.” he said.

“It is a significant advantage, but the question is ‘will it be enough’?” Charles said. He pulled his medications out from a drawer and began counting them out.

“It has to be.” Erik said, nearly growling, “I’m not giving up on the children. Not again. Never again.” his rage was nearly palpable.

Charles reached out with his mind to soothe his friend and lover, almost instinctively, without really considering asking for permission. Erik didn’t seem to mind and just let himself be comforted by Charles’ presence in his head. They sat in silence for a moment, the only movement coming from Charles’ methodical counting out his various pills.

Erik eventually stood up and went to get the chess board and a glass of water for Charles. He set the board and the cup down and started setting up the pieces as Charles gulped down his pills.

“So we resume our training with the other, modified a little in some cases.” Erik said as he finished setting up.

“Yes, more or less.” Charles said, turning the board so he had black and Erik had white, “Hank is going to need a confidence boost. He’s been so depressed lately.”

“He shouldn’t feel so down.” Erik said, making his first move, “I think he looks good.”

“He feels alienated.” Charles said, “Isolated and lost. He’s not sure where to go from here. He needs a direction.”

“I know a bit of what that feels like.” Erik said, “I can talk to him.”

Charles sighed and made his own move, “You come on a little too strong. You and Mystique are both a little too aggressive for the message to set in.”

“Aggressive?” Erik raised an eyebrow, moving his rook, “How so?”

Charles leveled him with an incredulous look, “Hank doesn’t want to be told he looks good. Anything along those lines is just going to fall on deaf ears. He wants to know how to deal with what he’s become.”

“What he’s made himself into.” Erik corrected, “It was by his own doing that he is the way he is now.”

Charles rubbed the bridge of his nose, “I know, which makes this all the more complicated. He only has himself to blame, and he’s apparently burned his bridges with Mystique, and she’s not really helping matters.”

“Don’t blame her.” Erik said, “For the first time in her life she’s starting to feel beautiful in her own skin, her _real_ skin. Don’t take that away from her. If Hank has an issue with it, it’s his issue, not hers.”

“I agree, but it’s hard to watch.” Charles said, “I love Raven, I really do. She’s my sister, and that’s never going to change. But her actions are having consequences on others, and I want her to realize that.”

“Maybe it’s time you let her go.” Erik said, “She’s not a child anymore, she needs to find her own way in the world.”

“What do you mean?” Charles asked, but he knew full well what Erik was getting at. He didn’t want to, but it was all but laid out or him.

“She could go travelling.” Erik said, “She’s got sufficient control over her powers and the means to go wherever she likes in the world. Maybe it’s time for her to live on her own for a while.”

“You’re suggesting I kick her out?” Charles asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Not exactly. Just let her know that she could, that you would support her decision to leave if she was so inclined.” Erik said, “It’s good to get your wanderlust out while you’re young and healthy.”

“I was wondering why you were so lenient on Sean and Angel.” Charles said, “I would have expected you to want to rein them in.”

Erik shrugged, “I lived with and married a Romani woman and her family after the camps. I spent years living out of a suitcase, hunting down the bastard that ruined my life. Traveling puts things into perspective. Autonomy makes you self-sufficient. You develop survival skills and a thick skin.”

“I’d rather not have my sister running around hunting Nazi’s, but I understand what you’re getting at.” Charles said, “A measure of figuring out what she might like to do with her life, rather than just following at my side.”

“Exactly.” Erik said, grinning a little.

“I can’t say I wholeheartedly _like_ the idea, but you’re right. She’s not a child.” Charles said with a deep sigh, “I can’t keep treating her as such, or she’ll just resent me.”

Erik hummed, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” he said, taking Charles’ bishop unexpectedly, putting him in check.

Charles grumbled, “Of course.”

 

* * *

 

 

“So that was interesting.” Darwin said, blinking a bit stupidly, “Did you see that coming?”

Alex shook his head, “I didn’t think Raven was even like that.” he said.

“It’s a bit of an eye opener, isn’t it?” Darwin said, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall.

“I guess.” Alex said, shifting on his feet, “I mean, I guess it’s nice to know what we’re not the only ones.” he said.

Darwin smiled and pushed off the wall to pull Alex close by his hips, “Not alone at all.” he said, leaning in for a quick kiss.

Alex stayed still, letting Darwin direct him, “Yeah.” he said absently, staring intently off in the corner of the room.

“What’s up?” Darwin asked, “Hey? You okay?”

Alex snapped out of his reverie and looked up at Darwin. They stared into each-other’s eyes for a long moment, blue into black, before Alex lurched forward to kiss the other man passionately.

Darwin let out a surprised noise, but quickly fell into Alex’s lead, feeding his passion and lust. In an unprecedented move, Alex pushed him against the wall, pressing their bodies together from chest to toe. An insisting thigh found its home between Darwin’s legs, forcing a choked off moan out of him.

After a few minutes of impassioned face-sucking, Alex pulled back to all but attack Darwin’s neck with his mouth, “Wh-what brought this on?” he asked, gasping as teeth sunk into the sensitive flesh of his neck, “Not that I’m c-complaining.”

Alex didn’t answer, too intent of marking the dark skin under his teeth. One hand found its way under Darwin’s shirt, his warm hands blazing hot trails over his stomach and sides and up his back. Finally getting his bearings, Darwin surged forward to pull Alex’s shirt right off, a little worried that Alex would change his mind again and stop this.

Alex pulled away—Darwin scrambled to pull him back, worried that he’d gone too fast and had scared Alex off—and shucked his shirt off the rest of the way. Darwin grinned and used the short respite to get rid of his own shirt. They came back together with another kiss, this one short and almost sweet, Darwin smiling too hard to put any effort into a proper kiss. He couldn’t help but giggle a little, even as Alex moved to press him back against the wall and lick his way into Darwin’s mouth.

“Dude, come on.” Alex growled, and that did it, Darwin broke out into laughter, the smiling-so-hard-your-face-hurts kind of laughter, burying his face into Alex’s shoulder and clinging to him as his body shook.

Alex grumbled, but held on to Darwin as he came down from his sudden departure into hysteria. The darker man laid a kiss to his neck in apology, “Sorry man, I got a bit carried away.” he said, still smiling.

Alex huffed, “If you need to take a break—“ he said, starting to pull back. Darwin locked his arms around him.

“Aw don’t be like that.” he said, “I wasn’t laughing at you, silly. I got a little swept up is all. We finally have our shirts off together.” Darwin nuzzled into Alex’s neck, kissing a trail from below his ear down to the junction of shoulder and neck.

Alex let out a breathy sound, relaxing a little, “Yeah.” he murmured, tilting his head to give his partner more access to his skin.

Darwin let out a pleased hum and set about marking the tan skin, sucking and biting a spot below his collar where it wouldn’t be seen by anyone else. As much as he wanted to display their relationship freely, he knew that Alex’s fears would still be there no matter how far they went right now.

With one last final lick to the newly made red mark, he pulled up and tugged Alex into a deep kiss, tangling his fingers into short blonde hair. Alex hummed and leaned into it, wrapping his arms around Darwin’s torso and feeling the muscles on his back. They stayed that way for a long time, just kissing slowly, almost lazily, like they had all the time in the world. But Alex apparently had a lot of pent-up feelings, and the kissing soon turned lusty again, their breaths coming in short pants.

Guiding Alex backwards, Darwin pressed him against a sheet-covered piece of furniture (a desk or table probably), leaning him backwards over it. One adventurous hand found its way to the front of Alex’s jeans, palming him through the dense cloth. Alex groaned and arched into the touch, his cheeks and the tips of his ears going bright red.

“You’re so cute when you blush you know.” Darwin said, “You get so red, and it goes right down to your clavicle. It’s adorable.”

Alex flushed even harder, “Don’t make fun of me.” he grumbled, trying to look annoyed, but falling short of it by a wide margin.

Darwin chuckled, “I’m not making fun, I like it. I like you.” he said, leaning forward to kiss down Alex’s chest, “You’re amazing.”

 Alex grumbled until Darwin made him gasp as he flicked his tongue over his nipple. He shuddered as his dark-skinned lover trailed his mouth lower and lower, finally ending up below his belly button, just above the top of his jeans.

“Can I?” Darwin asked, voice nothing more than a whisper.

“Yes.” Alex said quickly, barely aware of what he was agreeing to, but not really caring at this point.

In a quick, fluid movement, Darwin unzipped Alex’s jeans and pulled them down, along with his underwear. Alex flushed red again as his erection sprang free of his pants, nearly smacking Darwin in the cheek (he was so close), but the other man just grinned and started nuzzling into the junction of hip and thigh (the bastard).

Alex had to shove a knuckle into his mouth to stop a shout when Darwin _finally_ took him into his mouth, bobbing his head and sucking like it was his life-long dream. His free hand gripped the edge of the desk so hard that his knuckles went white, while his hips involuntarily began to rock into the delicious heat that Darwin was offering so willingly.

Darwin, true to his nature, just rolled with it, letting Alex thrust into his mouth spasmodically while he continued to suck. It wasn’t long before Alex found himself teetering on the edge of release.

“D-Darwin.” he gasped, “I’m gonna—!”

Darwin just moaned and sucked hard, one hand coming up to squeeze Alex’s balls. Alex came with a muffled shout, tossing his head back, body tensing. Darwin finally pulled back and jerked Alex through his orgasm, come landing on his chin and collar.

Alex slumped to the floor, boneless; Darwin wiped his chin and pulled Alex close, kissing his neck and rubbing his back. After a few minutes, the blonde’s brain came back online.

“That was . . . great.” he said, searching for the proper word for a moment before finally settling. ‘Great’ didn’t really cover it, but it was the closest approximation.

Darwin chuckled, “Thanks.” he said, “You good?” it was a loaded question.

Alex didn’t answer for a moment, “Yeah, I’m good.” he said eventually. He pulled back and kissed his lover, slow and languid. He pulled away when he remembered something, “Hey, what about you?”

Darwin seemed to just realize that his own erection was still aching between his legs. He shifted a little, “It’s cool, you don’t have to.” he said.

“No way man, fair’s fair.” Alex said, pushing Darwin’s shoulders so he was leaning back. He stared at the tented front of his pants and flushed a little.

Darwin chuckled at the expression of nervous determination on his face, “Seriously, it’s okay if you don’t want to. I know this stuff’s hard for you.”

“I want to.” Alex said firmly, “Just . . . just give me a sec.”

Darwin waited patiently, bringing one hand up to rest comfortingly on Alex’s shoulder, his thumbs stroking his tanned skin, still pale next to his own dark fingers. Finally, Alex reached forward and undid the front of Darwin’s pants, tugging them down enough to get his cock out, but stalling from there. Darwin didn’t have to be a telepath to see how nervous Alex was.

“You don’t have to—“ “I already said I want to.” “—put it in your mouth.”

Alex paused, looking up into Darwin’s eyes, “Oh.” he said, “Yeah, I can do that.”

His nervousness abating a little, Alex wrapped a hand around the slightly deflated cock, tugging experimentally. Darwin moaned and spread his legs a little further, squeezing Alex’s shoulder. Emboldened, Alex continued, stopping only once to spit into his hand for makeshift lubricant. He leaned in and kissed Darwin on the mouth, travelling to his neck and collarbone and chest as his hand sped up.

“You’re gorgeous.” Alex said suddenly, the words bubbling to the surface before he could stop them, “Absolutely breathtaking.”

“Alex~” Darwin panted, eyes closing in pleasure for a moment. Alex took it as a personal achievement; Darwin liked to keep his eyes open for intimate moments.

“Look at you.” he continued, “You’re so beautiful like this. Did I ever say how much I liked your skin? The colour is so rich.” the words just tumbled from his mouth, even though he was usually too embarrassed to even _think_ things like this, “I always loved dark chocolate, I could eat you right up.” as if to emphasize what he’d said, he licked a stripe over Darwin’s nipple and bit down a little.

Darwin jumped a little at the attention, “Ah, fuck.” he groaned, arching into it, “Damn Alex, where’d you learn to talk like that?”

Alex just grinned and squeezed his hand a little tighter, “You’re so gorgeous.” he started again, “And so good. Do you know how easy it is to love you? I get jealous of people when they talk to you, ‘cause I know how easy it is to fall for you. You’re just too _good_.”

Darwin’s whole body shuddered as he panted, forcing his eyes open to watch Alex as he devolved into babbling nonsense about how gorgeous/handsome/good/kind/smart he was, and how much he wanted to keep him all for himself/show him off to anyone and everyone. After a minute or two of singing his praises and jerking him off, Alex pressed a slick thumb over the head of his sensitive cock, rubbing at his slit, bringing him unexpectedly over the edge with a choked gasp. Alex kept his hand going for another moment or two, pressing kisses to Darwin’s neck, before letting go and pulling back.

A comfortable silence stretched out between them as they sat there, clothes in a disarray and smears of come dotting their bodies. Darwin stretched out on his back and Alex curled up next to him, absently tucking them both back into their pants. They stayed that way for a long time, breaths evening out and heart rates slowing as they came down from their respective orgasms.

“They looked good together.” Alex said, suddenly, and it took Darwin a moment to figure out that he was talking about Raven and Irene, “They looked like they belonged together.”

Darwin smiled, “Yeah, they looked good.” he said. Whatever it meant, he was glad that Raven and Irene had found each other, like he had found Alex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More sexy times~ this time featuring Alex and Darwin. They need help, poor things. Not all relationships are easy.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another day, another chapter. Exam season is coming up, so updates might be sporadic at best (not that they're i=on a regular schedule anyway). we're getting closer to the conclusion guys!

“We start training again as soon as possible.” Erik said, “No exceptions. This time, we stop Shaw, permanently.”

The rest of the table stayed silent. Their numbers had shrunk from that morning, with three of the household gone off for far away pastures, but Erik could see the determination in each of their eyes.

“Sounds good to me.” Alex said, “That bastard is going to pay for what he’s done.”

Charles pressed his lips together. Knowing that Shaw needed to be executed was a far cry from seeing the people he cared about actually _coveting_ the man’s inevitable demise. Of course he realized that Shaw couldn’t be left alive, not after everything that had happened, but he wished none of them had to get blood on their hands to do it.

“We’ve all gotten an idea of one another’s powers by now, so we need to start focussing on working as a team, not just as individuals.” Erik said, “Shaw’s team has been working together longer, so they have that over us. We have the advantage of numbers, but we lack the unity.”

“Irene mentioned that their group would be falling apart by now.” Raven cut in, “So that’s another point in our favor.”

“Still, we need to be effective. There can be no mistakes this time.” Erik said, “We can’t risk it.”

Everyone was silent for a moment, thinking of the kids that could easily get caught in the crossfire and get hurt. Erik was right, they had to be at the top of their game if they wanted to get out of this with the least bloodshed possible.

“So what do I do?” Marya piped up from the end of the table, “You all have fancy talents, but I can’t do anything. And you are not leaving me behind.” the look in her eyes left no room for argument.

Erik grinned, teeth flashing in that smile that could make grown men shit in their pants, “I have just the thing for you.” he said, pulling out a very large pistol, “Remember how to use one of these?”

Marya took the weapon and turned it over in her hands with the familiarity of someone who’d handled weapons before, “A Walther P38? Where did you even get this?” she asked.

“I hung on to it after the war.” Erik said, “It never hurts to have it around.”

Marya raised an eyebrow, “It’s not the same one, is it?” she asked. She turned it over and sure enough, there was the scratch on the bottom of the barrel, “Well I’ll be a son of a bitch, you kept it?”

“It’s lucky.” Erik said with a shrug, “You remember how to fire it?”

“Yeah I remember how to fire it.” Marya said, setting it down on the table, “But from what you’ve told me, it’s not going to be very effect against a guy who can teleport, a woman who can turn into a diamond, and a guy who can absorb energy. What am I supposed to do with it?”

“You’ll be getting the children out.” Charles said, “While the rest of the others fight Shaw, you and Raven will see to getting the children out and safe.”

Marya thought it over and nodded, “Works for me.” she said, “But I still hope I get to put a bullet in someone’s ass.”

Charles chuckled; he was starting to like this woman, “We’re going to need a plan of attack.” Erik cut in, “Shaw is too powerful for us to take down just by pelting him with our powers, we need strategy.”

“Well we almost had him last time.” Darwin said, “When Charles was holding him.”

Erik growled a little and Darwin shrank back. Shaw had lived last time because Darwin had gotten in the way. Oh how the times had changed.

“I’m afraid that won’t work this time, not with Frost at his side.” Charles said, “I’ll have my hands full with her, I won’t be able to attack Shaw.”

“So our plan hinges on Darwin’s ability to adapt fast enough to absorb Shaw’s energy blasts.” Erik said, “Irene and Angel gave us some good intel about each of them, but the nature of Shaw’s power is still going to be hard to maneuver around. We’re all going to have to work hard.”

“No pressure or anything.” Alex said.

 

* * *

 

 

Training resumed at the house as well as one could expect it to; with a lot of fire, screaming, and their own particular brand of one-upmanship threatening to destroy the very foundations of the mansion.

Charles had resigned himself to taking a less mobile role in the training, but he was no less active, staying in the minds of each ‘student’ while they perfected the use of their powers. Hank was the most difficult to get through to, his apprehension about his new form making him timid and nervous.

“Honestly Hank, it’s going to be fine.” Charles insisted from his place on the sideline, “You’re not going to hurt anyone if you let loose a little.”

Hank shifted on his feet, glancing at the dummy he was supposed to be tearing up, “I’ve never been violent in my life.” he protested.

“Now that’s not true.” Charles said, “While I share your ideas about violence as a last resort, we are, unfortunately, at the threshold of that last resort.” he said with a sigh, “Don’t think of it as unleashing the beast to hurt someone, but instead to protect the people you love.”

Hank turned the words over in his head, “I know what you’re trying to do, but Professor, I really don’t see why I have to.” he said, “Alex and Erik and Darwin should be enough.”

Charles gave him a withering look, “Are you willing to risk that? Are you willing to risk those children?” he asked, “I know you’re afraid Hank, but you have nothing to fear. We all know who the real you is under all that fur.” he said, smiling up at his young friend, “It’s okay to let go, we know you.”

Hank looked down at Charles, at his earnest face, and tried to pick through the turmoil in his own mind. He knew what Charles was trying to do, and he was grateful, but it was so _difficult_ to do what he was being asked. He knew what was at stake, and he knew that he couldn’t bow out because he was scared, but he was scared of _himself_ , of what this new body could do. He’d always been a pacifist, and the idea of unleashing what was now on his surface was nothing short of terrifying.

“Hank.” Charles laid a hand on his furry forearm, “Show me what you’re scared of.” it was too soft to be a command, but his tone had a note of finality in it that didn’t leave it up for debate.

Slowly, hesitantly, Hank allowed the Professor into his mind. Digging into his psyche, he pulled up the rarely thought of memory; his own bloody fists pummeling into his classmate’s face, the rage and pain of being tormented day after day about his big, beastly hands and feet; the animal rage he felt simmering at the edges of his mind, threatening to take over and turn him into a monster. He’d always buried himself in his books and his science, stubbornly refusing to give in, but it had been science that had come back to bite him and make everything he’d worked for all for nothing.

“Oh Hank.” Charles said, squeezing his forearm, “It’s alright. Come here.”

Hank let himself be tugged down to a kneeling position in front of Charles. He kept his eyes resolutely on the other man’s blanket covered knees, even as Charles tugged him forward into his thin but oh-so comforting arms.

“It’s alright my boy. No one thinks of you that way here. Everyone knows who you really are.” he said, stroking his hand through the thick fur on the back of his head and neck, “We all know who’s got the most brains out of anyone here. Everyone knows that you’re the most well educated, kind, selfless person here. Nothing will ever change that.”

Hank took a deep, shaking breath and buried his face into Charles’ red cardigan, squeezing his eyes shut against the tears threatening to fall. Charles just continued to make soothing noises and rub his back, sending waves of _calmyourmind_ and _youareloved_ into his head.

After an embarrassingly long time, Hank pulled away with a sniff, quickly rubbing the tears out of his eyes. He cleared his throat and stood up, still not looking at Charles.

“Thanks Professor.” he mumbled, embarrassment rolling off of him. Charles just chuckled.

“You’re very welcome my boy. Why don’t you go for a run? To clear your head?” he suggested, patting his furry arm.

Hank raised an eyebrow curiously, “I thought we were going to train with the dummy?”

Charles just smiled, “I think you know that this wasn’t about learning how to hit things, Hank.” he said, “Go on, clear your head, and then we’ll see to working on those acrobatic skills. I have a feeling that they’re going to come in handy.”

 Hank smiled and nodded. He stayed long enough to help Charles back to the house with his chair, then took off around the house. He’d always enjoyed running; it had been a great way to stay in shape all while he was growing up, and it had been a habit he had kept up until a disastrous day when he’d floored the running team at Harvard on a casual jog. After that, he’d stopped going out as frequently, scared that someone would ask him about it and eventually find out about his feet. Once he’d come to the mansion, he’d taken it up again, even pushed himself like he hadn’t before, thanks to Charles. After the beach (or rather, after turning himself blue), he’d stopped again.

He supposed he’d mostly just been depressed, sad over the loss of his human looks. He’d meant to make himself look _more_ normal, and ended up doing the opposite, damning himself to a life behind walls until mutants became an accepted part of society ( _when_ , not _if_ , he told himself). He had always been sort of gangly and awkward looking, which never really won the ladies over, but he found himself missing his old face when he looked in the mirror.

The worst thing to come out of this, Hank reflected, was the way he and Mystique danced around each other now. Before, he’d thought he’d found a contemporary in Raven, someone who understood what he’d grown up with, the way that the others couldn’t. But she’d been seduced by Erik, and had gotten it into her head that she was beautiful just as she was, scales and all.

 _It’s not a bad sentiment._ Hank thought, _But she can go and walk around outside and not have people run screaming_.

The bitter thought distracted Hank long enough for him to miss a dip in the path, and his foot fell right into it, jerking his whole body. Before he even really thought about correcting himself, Hank found himself lunging forward onto all fours, keeping pace with a quadrupedal gait. It felt strangely natural, not at all awkward. Encouraged, he sped up, surprised to find out how much it made a difference in his speed. Unable to stop himself from grinning, he pumped his limbs as hard as they would go, the wind rushing past him so loud that he didn’t hear the crunch of dirt signalling someone else on the path.

Only the tell-tale sight of blue scales kept Hank from barreling into Mystique as he turned a corner. Skidding on his feet, he knew he’d gained too much momentum and that inertia would cause them to collide. Again acting before his mind could really catch up, he twisted his body in a way that launched him skyward, flipping and twisting in the air like an acrobat, and landing on his feet a few feet in front of Mystique, back straight and arms out like a gymnast.

Hank blinked. Blinked again. Turned around and blinked at Mystiques’ stunned face. Yellow peered into yellow. The silence stretched between the two of them, neither of them moving or looking away. The tension finally snapped when they both burst into hysteric laughter.

“What the hell was that!?” Mystique guffawed, folding over so her hands were on her knees, shaking with the force of her laughter.

“I have no idea!” Hank answered, wiping tears from his eyes.

They continued to laugh for a good five minutes before they started to come down, breathing heavily and letting out little giggles here and there. Somehow they had both fallen over and were now sitting on the cold gravel. As their breathing evened out and the endorphins left them relaxed and giddy, the two blue mutants smiled at one another for the first time since the night before Cuba.

“I’m sorry.” Hank said suddenly, “I was terrible when I said those things to you.”

Mystique took a deep breath; she’d seen this coming a mile away, but it was still something of a shock to have it confronting her now, “I guess I’m sorry to.” she said, “We both said some nasty things.”

Hank drew his legs up to his chest, looking down at his furry kneecaps, “I’m still jealous though. You get to go out and not get stared at.” he said.

Mystique rolled her eyes, “You’re still not getting it. You and I should be able to walk in the street without getting stared at. We shouldn’t be freaks. We should have every right to walk down to the grocery store to get milk without getting looked down on for being different.” she stopped and smiled at Hank, “We shouldn’t have to be scared. We should feel beautiful.”

Hank stared at her, watched the cold morning light glint off of her shiny scales. Her red hair was slicked back as usual, but it was held down with a headband, presumably to keep it from flying everywhere while she ran. Hank glanced down at his hands—his paws really—and went quiet for a long moment.

“Am I beautiful?” he asked, maybe to Mystique, maybe to himself, maybe to the wind, “Looking like this?”

Mystique, for some reason, giggled a little. She leaned forward and took his big paws in her thin hands, “It doesn’t matter what you look like. If you know you’re beautiful, then you are.”

Hank stared back at her, searching her face. Mystique could see the moment where he finally _got it_ in his eyes. He broke out into a big toothy grin and pulled her into a tight hug.

“Thank you.” he said, “I think I get it now.”

Mystique chuckled and wrapped her arms around him, “Happy to help.” she said, resting her head on his furry shoulder. It scratched at her cheek a little, “Jeez Beast, learn to condition.”

They both laughed at that and stood up. On the walk back to the mansion, Hank demonstrated the scope of his new abilities, walking and running on all fours, leaping and climbing up trees, and carving deep gouges into fallen trees with his claws. Mystique watched appreciatively and demonstrated how far her own powers had come, flicking through forms so fast that it was hard to pick out each one.

“It feels good to let go, you know.” Hank said as he fell into step beside her, “I’ve been so worried about letting the ‘beast’ take over that I never really thought that I could work with it.”

“Sounds like you’re getting the hang of it.” Mystique said, smiling at him in the form of Sean, then Alex, then Angel, and then back to herself, all in the span of ten seconds.

Hank grinned, “I used to think of it as a binary. Two separate things working on parallel paths, but never the twain shall meet.” he said, gesturing widely, “When I should be considering it more like equilibrium. The two work together and feed one another and highlight one another. Inseparable.”

“Great, more science jargon.” Mystique said, rolling her eyes, “You sound like Charles.”

“Ah, that’s right. I should tell Charles. Thanks Raven!” Hank said, dashing off toward the house, eager to share his new theory with other scientific minds. Mystique laughed and watched him go, loping on all fours again. She smiled softly to no one in particular, feeling good about nothing in particular.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hank needed some closure, so that's what the second part of this chapter was about. He's still going to have issues, but I like the comic version of him better. He struggles with the limitations of his appearance, but he also accepts them and realizes that he's still a brilliant scientist and that he's only limited by his own fears. I never really sat through all of the trainwreck that was Last Stand, but I was disappointed in DOFP when he was mostly in human form. The comics have him coming to term with his looks a lot faster. Ah well, here's hoping for AOA.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short sort of filler chapter. We're getting to the end here guys!

Emma didn’t like children.

She never wanted any of her own.

She’d always known this, even when she was a child herself. Even before she realized how manipulative her father was and how much of her mother’s mind was lost to pills, she knew she hated children. Teenagers were slightly better; they usually knew how to keep clean and sort of fend for themselves. But little children were gross, sticky, slimy, crusty little germ factories who screamed for no reason and depended on other to help them do the simplest of things; even taking a shit needed adult supervision.

Yes, Emma hated children and would never have any if she could help it.

But that didn’t mean she ever wanted _this_.

It had been slightly better in the old place in Thailand, where there had been more space between her and the cells they kept the little things in. Here, her room (if it could be called that) was right above them, and Emma could hear their thoughts, even if though the room was soundproofed. She could hear them desperately praying for mummy and daddy to come and save them, for someone to let them out, and—worst of all—wondering what they’d done wrong. Had they been bad boys and girls? Was that why they had been brought here? Did their parents no longer love them anymore?

It was tearing Emma apart.

Abruptly, she sat up in bed, not caring that her movements disturbed the sleeping man next to her. He grumbled something foul and rolled over, away from her. She fought down the urge to sneer at him. Lately it was getting harder and harder for her to be close to Shaw. The more he demanded she wiggle around in the heads of those kids, discovering their secrets and fears for him to exploit, the less she could stand being in contact with his mind.

Throwing on her silk robe (the finest Italian made with hand-woven lace trim, white of course), Emma left the bedroom, wandering around in bare feet. The new compound was blessedly closer to civilization, but Sebastian had forbidden them from going into the city without his permission or his escort. Well, he’d forbidden her at least; he’d long ago given up on containing Azazel, even he knew that was a pointless endeavor.

The compound was little more than an old military warehouse that was once used by some western country during the war, and then abandoned when Madripoor stopped being strategically important. Shaw had outfitted it so the inside was semi-livable, with bedrooms and an apartment-like complex in the front, and then a space in the back for his ‘lab’ and a few cells to hold the ‘subjects’.

Instead of walking away from the noise like she had intended, Emma found herself walking down the hallway to where the cells were. She had to pass in front of the door to the ‘lab’ and quickened her pace. It freaked her out.

As she arrived at the door to the space where the cells were, she heard the concussive sound of someone bursting into a space where there had previously been nothing but air.

“Out for a late night stroll, vashe Vysochestvo?” Azazel asked, smoke still curling around him.

“None of your business, devil.” Emma hissed, “Go bother someone else.”

“There is no one else. Not anymore.” Azazel said, voice low. Emma winced at the memory of Janos’ death.

They stayed that way for a moment, Emma poised with her hand on the door knob and Azazel a few paces behind her, watching, “We could go now and he would never find us.” he said, “I can take us anywhere in the world in a blink. Fuck him.”

Emma wanted to, _God_ she wanted to, “I can’t.” she said, “I’m with Sebastian.”

“Are you?” Azazel purred, “ _Really_?”

Emma turned to glare at him, “Mind your own business.” she snapped, opening the door and walking through, just to put some distance between them.

Immediately Emma realized her mistake as the children’s fear spiked and nearly overwhelmed her for a moment. As she padded down the concrete floors, the little things shrank back in their cells, which were little more than cages. Emma was tempted to switch to her diamond form, just to shut out their terror at her presence.

“Please, I wanna go home.”

Emma stopped and looked down at the boy who had spoken. He had nondescript brown hair and tearful brown eyes. _Scott Summers_ her mind supplied, six years old, the younger brother of Alex Summers, who was one of Xavier’s kids. She crouched down to get a better look at him; he was cute in a way that suggested that he might be attractive as an adult, and his mind was sharp and clever, showing promise. He looked up at her, eyes pleading and sad. He was the only one who wasn’t at the back of his cell, cowering from her.

“Please. Let us go home.” he hiccupped. There were tracks on his filthy cheeks from crying. He needed a bath.

Emma just continued to stare at him. She thought of Shaw and what he was going to do to these children. She’d seen his plans stretched out in his mind; stripping these poor things of their will, their freedom, turning them into his perfect little militia, which would strike down the human race one assassination at a time. In his mind these children weren’t children, but tools for his own agenda. The thought suddenly made Emma sick to her stomach and she stood abruptly, turning to diamond in a flash. She clinked along the floor as she quickly made her way out of the warehouse and back into the apartments. When she got to the door, Azazel was no longer there.

She’d always wanted to be feared, and now she was. Be careful what you wished for, she supposed.

 

* * *

 

 

“I think we’re as ready as we’re going to be.” Erik said, while they were lying in bed, “We can’t leave it any longer.”

Charles looked over at him, “You think we should move on Shaw.” he said, not asked. He reached his hand over to take Erik’s, “I think you’re right.” he said.

Erik took a deep breath, “You know I have to kill him, don’t you?”

“I know.” Charles said softly, “I don’t like it, but there isn’t any choice.”

“No, there isn’t.” Erik said, “But better me than one of the boys.”

“Or Raven.” Charles scrubbed a hand over his face. He looked up into Erik’s eyes, “I know that it’s not just about stopping Shaw. I know what it means to you.” he said, echoing what he’d said when they’d first met in the water.

Erik was quiet, “Yes, it means a lot to me.” he said, “But that doesn’t matter anymore. What matters now are Pietro and Wanda. I have to get them away from him.”

Charles raised an eyebrow, “Revenge on Shaw doesn’t matter anymore?” he questioned, “Who are you and what have you done with Erik? Raven, if you’re playing a prank on me, I’ll be cross.” he teased.

“Hush.” Erik groused, pinching Charles’ rib, sparking a short tussle between the two of them, “I just have different priorities now.” he said after they’d calmed down, “I need to be around for them.”

Charles was quiet for a moment, “And you didn’t need to be around for the rest of us?” he asked, voice barely a whisper.

Erik looked over at him, “It’s not—“ he started to say, but stopped himself, “I honestly thought that Shaw would kill me. That we would both perish at one another’s hand.” he said softly, “Even when I was training with you, getting to know all of you, I was still thinking that I would die. I didn’t plan for anything else.”

Charles watched Erik’s face with mild astonishment. He’d picked up on Erik’s determination to end Shaw at the cost of his own life, but he hadn’t thought that it went that far. It made sense, he supposed, Erik had had nothing to lose when they’d started, and even by the end, they still weren’t the tight knit group they had become in the weeks after. They liked each other, sure, but it was only after Cuba that they had all really gotten to know one another. Even he and Erik had still been on tentative ground.

“And I supposed I trusted you.” Erik said suddenly, sounding like he was speaking to himself more than the man next to him, “I trusted you to carry on for the mutant cause without me.”

Charles suddenly remembered how new it had all been to Erik, how little he’d known about mutants before Charles had jumped into the water. He’d been worried, just before they’d left for Cuba, that Erik would leave on a crusade against humans after they had brought down Shaw. The idea wasn’t so farfetched; Erik certainly had a sore spot for humans and enough trauma crossing his wires to carry an idea like that out. It wasn’t so ridiculous, Charles thought to himself, that _not_ killing Shaw had been the only reason that Erik hadn’t run off to start his own war.

“But now we’re going to do it together.” Charles said, praying that it didn’t sound as much like a question as he feared.

Erik gave a noncommittal hum and wrapped his arms tightly around Charles, “We should sleep. We’ll need to start planning in the morning.” he said.

Charles didn’t say anything, just burrowed into Erik’s muscular chest. In the back of his mind, he wondered what would happen when Shaw was dead. He wondered, quite against his will, if there was anything to stop Erik from leaving. He tightened his grip, as if he could hold him down there forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The little bit with Emma and Scott is an homage to their relationship in the comics, even though I have a complex relationship with the whole Emma/Scott/Jean thing. I always felt that Jean was always relegated to 'the Girlfriend Character' too much, which is really annoying because she's THE MOST POWERFUL MUTANT EVER. Seriously, it pisses me off so much. I think what gets me most is that Jean is just so boring as a character. She's bland and colourless (which is fitting) and it hurts that she's one of the best known female super heroes of all time and we still haven't fixed that. Honestly, tell me what you remember most about her character that doesn't involve her being Scott's girlfriend or the center of some bullshit love triangle.
> 
> Anyway, rant over. I should do a fic of just female super heroes being awesome and taking names.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm gonna either be really busy in the next little while or have a lot of free time. We shall see.
> 
> Also, Daredevil is AMAZING AND YOU SHOULD ALL WATCH IT.

Marya watched closely as Erik and Charles sketched out the plans to infiltrate Shaw’s compound and rescue the children. As far as she understood it, she and the blue girl would go in through the back once the men had distracted Shaw’s forces out front. They would get the children out and safely away as fast as they could; hopefully all of the children would be capable of walking at least part of the way.

“Alex, Darwin, and I will flank Shaw, keep him from getting to the others. Charles will be engaged with Frost, so that leaves Azazel to Hank.” Erik said, leaning over the sketched map of the compound that Irene had helpfully provided, “We’re going to go in through the front door, which leads out onto the street. Mystique and Marya will go in through this side door here,” he circled it on the map, “Which leads out towards the water. You’ll get the kids into a boat and drive off, towards the city. Shaw wouldn’t risk getting seen by that many people.”

“Sounds good to me.” Mystique said, “How are we going to get the kids out of the cells?”

“I’m not sure.” Charles said, “Irene was vague about that, so we’re just going to give you some heavy duty bolt cutters and hope for the best.”

“Wonderful.” Marya grumbled, “Are we sure we should trust that woman? What if she fed us bad intel?”

“Irene was telling the truth, so far as I could tell.” Charles said, “If she was lying, I would know about it.”

Marya still wasn’t convinced, but she sat back in her chair, letting the others continue their strategizing. In the week that she’d been here, she’d noticed how insular these people were. It made sense, these people were technically being persecuted, and she knew what that did to people. She remembered how suspicious her family had become of strangers, when normally they had been known for their hospitality. Now she was the stranger, the outsider, watching them try to protect themselves and their own kind.

She was also beginning to understand that she had no place here. No matter what she did, these people were extraordinary, with fantastical powers that made people fear them. She, on the other hand, was human, and wouldn’t be able to keep up with any of them on her best day. What scared her the most, however, was knowing that Wanda and Pietro were going to be like them when they grew up, ‘mutants’ with amazing powers. How was she supposed to deal with that? What did you do when your child could possibly blow up a wall if they had a temper tantrum? Marya didn’t want to admit it, but maybe they were better off with their father, with their own kind.

“Marya? Are you with us?”

Marya snapped up, “What? Sorry, I was distracted.”

Erik raised an eyebrow at her, but plowed on, “We move out in two days. That gives us enough time to arrange things in Madripoor and here. Everyone should train and rest, keep sharp. We’ll run some drills later to fine tune our coordination. The last thing I want is for one of us to get sloppy and get hit.” he said.

The crowd of teenagers (they were all so young Marya thought to herself) nodded and began to disband, filtering off to wherever they were needed. Erik took Alex and Darwin to run some more drills while Charles and Hank walked off together, probably to the basement where Marya had been banned from going (they didn’t trust her that much). Mystique, surprisingly, approached Marya.

“So we’ll be working together. We should probably get to know one another.” she said, smiling brightly.

“Right.” Marya said, smiling at the blue woman, “I suppose we should.”

Mystique tilted her head and looked curiously at her, “You’re uncomfortable around me and Hank.” she said, yellow eyes piercing, but not accusing.

Marya considered lying, but these people were helping her get her kids back. It would be disrespectful, “Yes.” she answered. She meant to go on and explain what she meant by it, but no words came.

Mystique watched her for a moment, “Why? Because we’re different?” this time, she sounded hurt.

Marya ran a hand through her hair, scratching her scalp, “I don’t think that’s it.” she said, “I’m not sure why.”

“Well figure it out, we need to work together to get those kids back.” Mystique said, sharp and curt. She turned on her heel and made to walk away.

“Wait.” Marya called, “It’s not about the powers.” she said, “At least I don’t think it is.”

Mystique stopped, but didn’t turn around. They were alone in the room now, with everyone gone to do their tasks. Marya wrapped her arms around her body.

“I always knew about Erik.” she said, “I knew about what he could do. I wondered about it, obviously, but it never bothered me that much.” she paused and ran her hand over the back of a chair, “But he saved us.” she said, looking up at the blue woman, “He saved our lives using his powers. So this, all this mutant stuff? It’s not about that.”

Mystique turned to face her, tilting her head curiously, ‘So what is it about?” she asked. She seemed genuinely curious.

Marya looked away and shrugged, laughing weakly, “I’m not sure.” she said.

Mystique picked her next words carefully, “Is it about how we look? Me and Hank?”

Marya sighed, “I don’t think so. Maybe. You have to admit that it’s odd.” she said, “I don’t mean to be this way, but this was dumped in my lap just over a week ago. Some guy from the camps, something I thought I put in my past, stole my children and is planning to use them to wipeout humanity as we know it. It’s a little much for me.”

Mystique sighed, “Yeah, I guess.” she said.

“I didn’t ask for this.” Marya said, “I didn’t ask for a lot of things in life, but here I am. I’ve seen the absolute worst of the world and I came through it. I know what fear and hate does to people, how it can make people disregard that their neighbors, people they’ve known their whole lives, are human. I know how it can infect people.” she looked out the window, eyes far away.

It was a sunny day, warm for the season, with the sun shining over the tops of the trees. She took a deep breath, “Our camp was raided on a day like today.” she said, “We were just going about our business, just like usual. I remember my mother was making my sister’s favorite for dinner, this mushroom dish. I hated it, I always hated mushrooms. I was pouting and being fussy about it. Then the soldiers came and they smashed all my mother’s pots and pans and spilled it everywhere.” Marya said, leaning on the window sill, “And then they shot her. They shot her because they didn’t want an old woman with only one leg. They loaded everyone into trucks and they took us away. I would give anything to have eaten that last meal.” she said, forcing back tears.

Mystique just watched her from a few paces back, wondering what to say. She knew about the camps and what had happened to so many people, but she’d never really heard the stories, not from the people who’d been there. Erik said precious little about that part of his life, and his time there wasn’t exactly ‘standard’.

“I’m sorry.” she said, feeling the inadequacy of the words as they rolled off her tongue.

Marya snapped back to herself, “It doesn’t matter.” she said, “Not anymore. I just . . . I wanted you to know that I know.”

“Know what?” Mystique asked.

“What you’re afraid of.” Marya said, looking up at her, “Or what you should be afraid of.” there was another pause as she let the words sink in, “I just want you to know that I won’t be like that. I won’t let it happen. Not again.”

Mystique watched the other woman, trying to process what she meant. It was hard to think about, but she was right; in the back of their minds, they all thought about it. They wondered if they would be gathered into trucks and trains and taken away from their homes and systematically exterminated. Erik certainly seemed to think that, and for good reason. It had only been over a decade since it had happened, what was really there to say it wouldn’t happen again?

Mystique took a deep breath, “Thank you.” she said.

Marya nodded, “I’m sorry if I’m uncomfortable, but I’ll get over it. It’s not your problem, and it’s nothing that you have to do.” she said, “I’ll figure it out.”

Mystique hummed, “Well, we have to start getting ready if we’re going to get your kids back.”

Marya looked away, “Right.” she said, “Let’s go out to the firing range. I’ll show you how to shoot.” she said.

“Why? I’m not going to have a gun.” Mystique said, though she still followed the other woman.

Marya chuckled, “Knowing how to shoot a gun should be something every girl knows.” she said, “Come on, let’s have some girl time.”

Mystique smiled a little, falling into step next to her. Sharon Xavier had never really taken much notice of her, so it was nice to have an older woman to look up to. She felt like she was slowly coming into herself in a way that Charles had never been able to help her with.

 

* * *

 

 

Azazel took a long drag from his cigarette, the tip glowing in the darkness. He pulled it away and tapped out the ashes, blowing out a cloud of smoke. He stared out into the night, over the top of the city. Shaw had bitched about not going out where they could be seen, but Azazel went where he pleased. Currently, he was atop the highest building in Madripoor, perched perilously on the towering spire that reached for the heavens. He chuckled a little at the irony of that.

He’d always liked tall places, standing over everything, king of the hill. It was a little silly, but it had been a comfort to him. His home was said to be in the ground, underneath everything, but he knew better. Position was irrelevant to dimensional travel. He took one last pull of his cigarette and tossed it off the spire, watching the wind sweep it up and carry it away.

Once again, he found himself thinking about Shaw and everything that was happening. Frost was about to crack, he could tell, watching her resent sitting next to the madman that Shaw was becoming. Azazel was only tenuously staying, drawn by curiosity and that damned idea that the little seer had put in his head.

He pulled himself away from Shaw and thought about her again, picturing her in his mind. He knew precious little about her, but it was enough to get him curious. Aside from her looks, she was clever, and devious, the way she’d tricked him that day on the beach. It was enough to get him interested, but the seer’s prediction was what kept him coming back to her. She was supposed to be important to him? How? Why? What was he supposed to do if they met again, and they surely would if he stuck around Shaw? And when that happened, they would be on opposite sides of the conflict. She seemed like the loyal type, and he didn’t think he’d endeared himself to her enough to get her to see his non-existent ‘softer’ side.

Sighing, Azazel ran a hand through his hair and stood up. He teetered on the edge of his perch for a moment before letting himself fall forward. Teleporting while falling was tricky, but he approached it like he did everything that was tricky; as a challenge to conquer.

He teleported a few times, travelling over the city laterally, slowing his decent with each ‘port; by the time he reached the warehouse, he had slowed enough to land on his feet on the roof of the warehouse. He straightened his suit out and took one last look out over the city and then went inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some focus on Marya and what she's going through. I kind of imagine her to be a pretty practical person, but everyone has their limits. You have to admit that comicbookland is very very bizarre.
> 
> We're getting to the end guys! Hold onto your butts!


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter jumps around the timeline a little, but it should be easy enough to follow. This is either the second to last or third to last chapter. Probably third to last. Enjoy!

Erik zipped up his duffle and stood up straight.

They were about to go to Madripoor.

No more waiting.

Erik took a deep breath and shouldered the bag. It was heavier than usual because he was carrying some of Charles’ things, even though the other man insisted he could get it himself (he probably could, but Erik could see how he winced when pressure was put on his shoulders—he couldn’t move his lower half, but he could still feel it). He checked the room one last time, mentally checking off everything that needed to be straightened and put away. He stepped through the door and closed it behind him, locked it, then turned and strode down the hallway.

If he came back to this place alive, he would be a father.

Erik shut his eyes for a moment, a fraction of a second, and pushed the thought from his mind. Right now he didn’t have time to be distracted by the future. He had a mission to complete, and he would see it through come hell or high water.

Charles and the others were waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs. He kept his face hard and impassive, betraying no emptions. Everyone else was silent. Erik looked into each of their faces and gave a nod, signalling for them to get going. They picked up their small amount of luggage and made for the door.

 _Erik_ , came Charles’ voice in his head, _Be careful._

 _You too, Charles._ he projected back, helping him along with his powers. With one last look around the vast house, he shut the door and locked it behind him.

 

* * *

 

The flight had been long, even without the awkward silence the permeated the air. Unlike the last time, there had been a nervous, almost hysterical chatter as they flew toward their uncertain doom. Now they were all silent, not looking at one another. Even Mystique was quiet.

When they finally landed in Madripoor, their first stop was to drop off their things at a hastily rented house on the outskirts of the city. They had planned to get hotel rooms, but Marya had pointed out that they would need a place to put the children after they were rescued, so they had gotten a house instead.

They stowed their things, got into the also rented bus, and began driving to the docks.

 

* * *

 

“We’re gonna be okay.” Darwin said, hours earlier, before they’d left the mansion, “We’re gonna get Scott and come back here.”

Alex zipped up his bag, “You sound so sure.” he said, not looking at him.

Darwin paused, “I’m not. Not really I mean.” he admitted, casting his eyes down, “I mean I want to be, but we can’t really be sure, can we?” he said.

Alex took a deep breath and closed his eyes, “I want to be sure.” he said, “I want to see my little brother come home.” he forced down a choked noise.

Darwin crossed the room and wrapped his arms around the blonde, “Yeah, I know.” he said softly, “We just have to try.”

Alex leaned into his lover’s warm embrace, “We’re gonna be okay.” he said, somehow making it not sound like a question.

“Yeah.” Darwin said, kissing the corner of his mouth, “We’re gonna be okay.”

 

* * *

 

“Are you sure we’re ready?” Mystique asked, wheeling Charles towards the stairs where they would wait for everyone, “I feel like we’re not ready.”

“We’re as ready as we’re going to be, Raven.” Charles said, “We’ve run the drills and planned and trained. There’s nothing else to do but move in.”

Mystique took a deep breath, “I’m nervous.” she said.

“I know.” he said, looking back up at her, smiling softly, “But trust me, we’re ready.”

Mystique raised a sceptical brow, so Charles reached back and patted her scaly hand, “If you don’t trust me,” he said, “Trust Irene. She said today was the day.”

Somehow, the tension left Mystiques shoulders. She trusted they were ready.

 

* * *

 

Marya cornered Erik the night before they were set to leave.

“Erik, if I don’t come back—“

“Don’t do this Marya.” Erik snapped, slapping down his newspaper, “Don’t make me listen to this.”

“Tough.” Marya growled, “If I don’t come back, you’re going to have to take care of Pietro and Wanda without me, so you need to shut up and pay attention.”

Erik growled, but didn’t move otherwise. Marya sat down across from him.

“They still share a bedroom at home, so don’t try to separate them.” she started, “Wanda likes to have the window side of the room, but when either of them have nightmares, they’ll both end up in her bed. I know you’re lapsed, but they’re used to going to Sabbath on Saturday mornings, sometimes Friday night if they have other things to do on Saturday, so find a Synagogue nearby. As for their mothers’ side of things, so long as they have Romanipen they should be fine. I try my best to keep them connected, but there are so few of us in the US.”

“I understand.” Erik said, “I’ll try to make sure they know their heritage. But, Marya.” he said, leaning forward and weaving his fingers together in front of him, “I’m not going to take them from you, if that’s what you’re afraid of.” he said.

Marya gave him a small, sad smile, “I know that.” she said, “But if one of us goes down, and let’s face it, it wouldn’t be you, I want Pietro and Wanda to be taken care of.”

Erik stared at the woman in front of him; in the last few weeks, she seemed to have gotten even older, but oddly stronger. She looked tired, he decided, stressed and worried for the children, _her_ children. He took a deep breath and reached out to take her hand in his. She gripped him right back, hands strong and steady, rough with callous, just like his.

“We’re going to bring them home.” he said, “I promise you’ll see them safe again.”

Marya smiled, “You always were good at keeping impossible promises.” she said. She squeezed his hand and stood up, “You should get some sleep, we have a bastard to destroy tomorrow.”

Erik huffed out a small laugh and nodded, “I’ll get some sleep, don’t worry about it.” he said.

Marya hummed and extracted her hand from Erik’s, then left the room. No matter what happened in Madripoor, she suspected that Erik would need a crash course in how to look after the kids anyway.

 

* * *

 

Emma could feel it in the air.

She wasn’t exactly sure what ‘it’ was, but she could sense something. It was one of those feelings that often came along with a ‘you need to haul ass and get out of here’ vibe, which she’d come to trust over the years. However, she went about her day as regular, not betraying anything to Shaw, though she suspected that Azazel was feeling the same thing (after all this time together, she still wasn’t sure how to read him, which was infuriating for a telepath). Her diamond form simmered underneath her skin, and she was filled with an anxious energy all day. It was getting to the point where she could sit still.

After the sun had gone down and Shaw had left his lab, Emma walked down to the cells, a place she hadn’t been since that night. She opened the door and walked along the corridor, letting the emotions of the children wash over her, just to get away from the nagging itch at the back of her head.

A stray thought—no, a memory—caught her attention. She stopped in front of one of the cells; Jean Grey, the little red headed telepath and telekinetic with alarming potential. She crouched down and peered in, reaching out with her mind to grasp that stay memory.

 _I promise I’m not abandoning you. I’m going to get help._ The words that the seer must have said before she left.

“So it was you who let her out.” Emma hummed, putting a hand on the bars of the cage, “I thought it was the bug girl, but it was you.”

The little girl began to sob, “P-please. I wanna go home. I want my mommy.” she cried, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Emma should have left right then, gone to Shaw and told him about what had happened, about the feeling in the back of her mind. A few months ago, before any of this, she would have done just that without a second thought. Now, she reached through the bars of the cage and stroked the brilliant red hair of the frightened little girl.

“It’s okay.” she said, not quite cooing, but keeping her voice soft and comforting, “Everything will be alright.”

The girl, Jean, looked up at her, green eyes still wet with tears, and smiled. Emma found herself smiling back.

 

* * *

 

 

“That’s it, that’s the building.” Charles said, pointing past Marya’s shoulder as they drove along the docks.

“Find an alley to park us in. Close but out of sight.” Erik instructed from the passenger seat. Marya glared at him.

“I know what I’m doing.” she hissed. She took a turn a little too hard and scraped the side of the bus on the corner of a fence. She found a parking place that was near to the warehouse, but out of sight enough that they hopefully wouldn’t be spotted.

There was a stretched, pregnant moment of tense silence. They all exchanged glances, the nervous energy palatable within the bus. Erik took a deep breath.

“Charles? Are you in range?” he asked. For this to work, Charles had to be close enough to feel their minds as they worked, especially if he was going to battle Frost.

Charles nodded, placing a finger to his temple, “I can feel her.” he said, “My range is bigger than hers. I have the upper hand.” he said.

Erik nodded and squeezed his shoulder. He turned to the others, “You all remember what to do?” he asked.

Everyone nodded, but Alex quipped, “Gee, I don’t know, maybe we should go over it again.” earning him an elbow in the ribs from Mystique.

Erik glared, “We get into position outside of the warehouse entrances and wait for Charles to give us the signal, then we move.” he said, “Keep alert and watch each-others backs. I will not lose anyone today.” he said.

Erik moved to the back of the bus and opened the door. Alex, Darwin, and Hank were right with him, and Mystique and Marya right behind. Charles stayed where he was, knowing that he wouldn’t be much help in a firefight. As the others left the bus, and Charles, behind, Erik felt the mental equivalent of a kiss being pressed against his lips, a phantom sensation.

 _For luck_. Charles projected into his mind. Erik smiled a little before letting his instincts take over. It was now or never, he was going to kill Shaw, or die trying.

As they moved into position, the girls breaking away to take the back entrance and get to the children, all anyone could hear was their own heartbeats pounding in their ears. Out of the corner of his eye, Erik thought he saw Alex and Darwin share a quick kiss, which explained a lot about those two. They found the door they would be storming and waited for the signal.

 _Charles? Are you there?_ Erik called out like Charles had taught him.

_I’m here. Can you all hear each other?_

_This is so weird._ came Darwin’s voice in Erik’s, and presumably everyone else’s, minds.

 _Ditto._ there was Mystique, with the vague presence of Marya beside her.

_Actually, I think it’s quite fascinating._

_Shut up Hank._ that was Alex.

 _All of you shut up._ Erik projected sternly, _Charles, when you’re ready._

There was a tense moment as they waited for Charles to let them know when he’d located everyone in the building and projected it into their minds. He wouldn’t be able to continue the mind-link while he was fighting Frost, so they would have to keep together or rely on faith to ensure they all got out okay.

As the vague sense of where everyone was in the building entered Erik’s mind, he took a deep breath and held it for a long moment, tunneling in on what he presumed was Shaw. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to wait. He was a far cry from the man who had run into a Russian general’s dacha unaided and without thinking, just to capture Shaw’s second in command.

He waited for an excruciatingly long moment before the signal in his brain told him to move.

_Now!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhangers are so much fun.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This got looooong. Anyway, semester's done and I'm all moved into my new place. Should be good for a while, at least until I figure out my job. Hope you enjoy!

At Charles’ signal, Alex let loose a blast, blowing the large garage style door off its hinges. They rushed in, knowing that Shaw and Azazel would be close (for some reason, Irene had told them not to worry about Riptide). Hank let out a thunderous roar, made even more terrifying by the large front loading bay that they had just run into.

“So now what? We just wait for Shaw to get here and kick our asses?” Alex hissed, tense and at the ready.

“Yes. We’re luring him out and away from the children so Mystique can get them out. Scheiße we’ve been through this!” Erik hissed, feeling for the metal on Shaw’s person.

“I’m a nervous talker!” Alex grumbled.

A concussive noise from the corner of the room was all the warning they had before a shockwave nearly blasted them back. Erik barely had enough time to put up a magnetic shield; as it was, he felt the blast throughout his entire body, jarring his bones and turning his stomach. A pained gasp from his right told him that Alex had felt it as well.

“A shield? That’s a lovely new trick Erik, I’m impressed.” Shaw drawled, stepping from the shadows, helmet on his head, “Or I would be, if you hadn’t blasted down my front door. Honestly, where’s the subtlety?”

Erik growled; it was now or never, “X-men! Attack!”

 

* * *

 

 

“That was the signal, let’s move.” Mystique said, rushing toward the door.

Marya grabbed her arm, “Wait, give Shaw a moment to get going, just in case.” she said.

Mystique nodded and waited. They stayed tense for a long moment, the silence around them deafening. It was almost a relief to hear the shouts and explosions from the front of the building. They then quietly slipped through the door and made their way through the maze-like halls.

“We know where we’re going?” Marya hissed, following close behind Mystique, gun drawn and ready to fire.

“Charles put the directions in my head. This way.” Mystique said, leading them down a hall. They passed what looked like something out of Frankenstein; a laboratory filled with sharp implements and a table with adjustable straps, situated to be small enough to hold a child.

“Sick bastard.” Marya hissed, “Let’s check to make sure there isn’t a kid in here. We don’t want to miss anyone.”

Mystique nodded and crept forward cautiously, eyes trained for any movement and ears straining for any sounds. She couldn’t see anyone in the immediate vicinity, but that didn’t mean that the red devil guy couldn’t jump out of nowhere.

Aside from the torture table in the middle of the room, there was a medium-sized box in the corner of the room; it was made of cheap plywood, with a flip-top lid with a heavy pad lock on the front. Mystique walked toward it and laid a hand on top of the box, wondering what it could be used for.

“Tafadhali napenda nje.” came a small voice from inside the box, “Mimi itakuwa nzuri, mimi ahadi.”

Mystique’s heart leapt into her throat. There was a _child_ locked in a box that was barely big enough for a large coffee maker. Stomping down on her desire to run and rip Shaw a new one, she crouched down next to the box.

“Don’t worry sweety, we’re here now. We’ll get you out of there lickety-split.” she said, trying to lift the lid off. It caught on the lock and wouldn’t budge. She growled and pulled harder; the lock held, but the cheap wood began to splinter. Mystique got a better grip and yanked with all her strength. The box jerked hard and the wood screwed to the hinge of the lock came away in a chunk. She threw the lid off and reached down into the box, lifting out a dark-skinned child with shocking white hair. Her blue eyes were filled with tears as she clung to Mystique; her skin was rubbed raw in places where she had been in contact with the rough wood.

“There there love.” Mystique cooed, rubbing her back as she cried, “It’s okay now. We’ve got you. You’re okay. You’ll be okay.”

They stayed there for a moment, giving the little girl, no older than five, a moment to collect herself. Marya smiled a little at the picture in front of her; Mystique might make a wonderful mother one day.

She reached out and touched her blue elbow, “We need to get going.” she said.

Mystique nodded and hoisted the little girl higher on her hip. She stalked out of the lab, filled with righteous fury and willing to do violence on the first person or thing that crossed her path. They came to the door that supposedly housed the rest of the children and shoved it open; it wasn’t even locked. Marya had to push down bile at the sicken sight of the children locked up in cages meant for animals.

“Mama! Mama!”

“Pietro!?” Marya called, forgetting to be careful and rushing forward. She rushed along the corridor that the cages made and saw Pietro’s thin white hands reaching through the bars. Marya collapsed to her knees and grasped them tightly.

“Oh my baby. Mein süßer Schatz, Mama ist jetzt hier.” she sobbed, kissing his scraped and bruised fingers, “Where’s your sister? Where’s Wanda?”

An arm came through the bars of a cage further down, “Over here Mama.”

Marya reached out and took Wanda’s hand. They’d both lost so much weight. She was going to kill Shaw, fancy powers be damned, “Let’s get you out.” she said, managing to keep her voice steady.

After a few moments, it seemed like they would need the keys to the locks; the cages were much higher quality than the box, made of strong metal and heavy duty, too strong for Mystique to bend or break.

“I could try and shoot the lock?” Marya suggested.

“Do you have enough bullets?” Mystique asked, wiping sweat from her forehead.

Marya sighed and shook her head, “And I didn’t see any key since we got here. Not even in the lab.” she said, “Didn’t Irene say that we would be able to get them out? Did she say how?”

Mystique shook her head and Marya cursed in German, “There has to be something.”

“Look out!” a little blonde girl shouted, eyes fixed over their shoulders at something behind them. They two women whipped around to see the red teleporter, Azazel, perched on top of the cages behind them, watching them. The smell of sulfur washed over them; Marya lifted her gun to fire, but it was knocked out of her hands before she could take aim. She hadn’t seen his hands move and wondered what had hit her until she saw a red, spaded tail curl back around behind him. She looked up at his scarred face, but he as looking at Mystique, like she wasn’t a threat (bastard).

Mystique met his gaze, arms curled protectively around the little girl, who was crying again. She somehow still managed to look like she could take him, despite being smaller than him and burdened with a sobbing toddler. Marya thought again how out of place she was in this world of demons and superpowered beings.

Strangely, Azazel didn’t seem to be attacking, or even preparing to attack. He didn’t even have his knives on him. His tail flicked lazily behind him; he dropped off the top of the cage and sauntered toward them, reminding Marya of the tiger she once saw at a zoo, all coiled danger and feline smugness. He stopped a few feet from Mystique, glancing to the child in her arms. Mystique kept his gaze and gently handed the girl off to Marya; Azazel grinned, teeth stark white and sharp against his red face.

Unburdened, the two mutants began to circle one another, waiting for the other to make a move. Mystique, inexperienced and impatient, lunged forward, aiming for Azazel’s grinning face. Instead of teleporting, he blocked the fist, countering with a punch to her solar plexus. Mystique coughed and jumped back a little, causing him to grin even wider. She lunged again, but this time she was quicker and caught him on the chin with a wild swing. He staggered backwards and she kept coming, forcing him to block her or get pummeled.

Marya glanced at her gun, lying a few feet away on the other side of the fight. She could probably reach it, but she didn’t know if she would be able to hit Azazel without at least clipping Mystique. She also couldn’t leave the little girl behind; the poor thing was clinging to her so bad that she wouldn’t be able to extract herself from her grip, let alone set her down so she could fire a weapon.

She needn’t have worried though; in a burst of acrobatics and flexibility, Mystiques twisted around and nailed Azazel across the face with a solid high roundhouse kick. His head snapped to the side and he went sprawling across the floor. He spat out blood and chuckled, looking up at her.

“Very good, krasavitsa, very good.” he purred as he got to his feet, accent curling around his words, “I’m impressed.”

“Fuck you.” Mystique hissed, looking ready to throw another punch.

Azazel only laughed, “So feisty. I like it.” he said. He dusted himself off and reached into his pocket. Both women tensed, but he revealed a set of keys; he tossed them to Mystique, who caught them before they hit her face.

“I assume you have transport out of this place?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Mystiques looked down at the keys, then eyed him warily, “We’re not telling you.” she said.

Azazel shrugged, “Fine fine, but we might want to get moving. Shaw will either kill your friends quickly or tear this place apart trying to.”

As if to punctuate his words, there was a loud boom around them. The children began to cry again and Mystique set about getting them out of the cages. Pietro and Wanda immediately ran to Marya the moment they were free, clutching her tightly. Marya crouched down to hug them tightly to her, kissing their heads and holding back tears. They weren’t really hers, but she loved them like they were, and that was what mattered.

Marya stood up and came face to face with Azazel, her gun pointed at her. She froze, grabbing her children and pushing them behind her. She stared into his blue eyes, trying to discern what he was thinking. He tilted his head at her and flipped the gun around so the handle was facing her and the barrel was pointed at him.

“You dropped this.” he said, gesturing for her to take the weapon. She reached out slowly and took it from his hand, still watching his face. He just grinned and leaned forward, startling her.

“Be careful, cheloveka, you could hurt yourself with that gun.” his voice was like honey on a knife edge; dangerous but temptingly sweet. She snorted in disgust and went to shove him. A burst of sulfur in her face had her coughing as he disappeared and reappeared a few feet away. He flicked his tail in what she guessed was either annoyance or intrigue and turned to help Mystique gather the children.

 

* * *

 

 

Emma froze the moment she felt Xavier’s touch in her mind. Unlike the curious touches he’d tried in the past, the full force of his power swept over her like a tsunami, and she barely had enough time to anchor herself. Gritting her teeth, she shoved back against his buffeting, powerful mind.

 _You won’t win Miss Frost. Not this time._ Xavier said into her mind, as clear as if he were standing in front of her, _I’m more powerful than you could ever hope to be._

 _Don’t count me out just yet, darling. I’ve never gone down without a fight._ she said back, shoving with all her might. She barely budged him; how strong _was_ he?

 _Incredibly strong, Miss Frost._ he said smugly, _If I recall, you could feel me all the way across the globe while I was enhanced by Cerebro._

_Your little toy? I’m surprised you knew that I caught you. Like a little boy with his hand in the cookie jar._

_I didn’t know, not at first. It’s like looking for a blind spot._ Xavier admitted.

 _How forthwith of you to say._ Emma drawled, managing to sound airy and bored even under the strain.

 _I’m a very honest person, Miss Frost._ Xavier said, still pressing against her mind like a pin point against a  too full balloon.

_I’m afraid I don’t share that character flaw. Please vacate my head, if you would be so kind._

Xavier projected the mental equivalent of a chuckle into her head, _You know I researched you after we met. Your name was so familiar, I knew I heard it before._

 _Had you?_ where was he going with this.

 _Emma Grace Frost, born in Boston, Massachusetts to Winston and Hazel Frost, a wealthy mercantile family. You have two sisters and a brother, making you the second youngest._ Xavier rattled off like he was telling her the weather and not her family history, _You used to be close to your brother, but his substance abuse caught up with him and you haven’t spoken to him in years. You haven’t spoken to your sisters or parents either, though you were chosen as the heir to the family fortune, how lucky for you._

Emma shut her eyes and tried to block him; he was just trying to rile her up was all, bringing her family into it. It was unexpectedly vicious of him, something she didn’t think the sweet little man was capable of. Clearly she needed to revaluate that thought.

 _You and I are quite alike, Miss Frost. I was surprised._ Xavier continued, _We’re both from families with too much money to know what to do with, yet we set out on our own to find a different path. We’re self-made people, you and I._

 _You’re missing the more obvious thing we have in common, darling._ Emma said, _It’s not every day you meet another telepath._

 _No it really isn’t. In fact, I think you’re the only other telepath that I’ve ever encountered. Then again, you were the third mutant I’ve ever encountered as well, so that might have something to do with it._ Xavier prattled, _What about you? Have you ever met another telepath?_

 _Astrid,_ came her own treacherous thought, scurrying into the light just long enough for Xavier to latch on and wiggle his way further into her mind.

 _Fascinating,_ he said, like she was a damn science experiment, _I wonder if telepathy is a common gift? Three telepaths in such a small focus group, it seems like a frequent power._

 _There’s nothing ‘common’ about me darling._ Emma hissed, attacking viciously; but it was like a cornered animal attack, fierce and vicious without the precision.

 _That hurt._ Xavier complained, like he’d been stung by a bee, _If you’re going to be nasty, I might just have to put an end to you entirely._

Emma quirked an eyebrow, _Isn’t that what you’ve been trying to do?_ had the bastard been going _easy_ on her?

 _Heavens no. Well, maybe at first._ Xavier said, _But really, I’d be loath to lose such a wonderful mind like yours. You’re not as evil as you’d like to think._

_What makes you so sure?_

A mental ‘deep breath’ washed over her, like a calming wave in the middle of a storm, _Because I see it in your heart. You’re as disgusted by Shaw as we are, and you’d give anything to run as far away from him as possible._

That had Emma stopping up short; Xavier must have wiggled in farther than she thought, though she’d been fighting tooth and nail against him. He really was as strong as he claimed to be, stronger even; there was no way she was going to win this fight.

 _Don’t be so fatalistic, my dear. You’re not going to win, but that doesn’t mean you have to lose._ Xavier said, and she felt a phantom weight on her shoulder, comforting and kind.

Emma didn’t lean into the comfort, but she didn’t push it away either, _What’s that supposed to mean?_ she snapped, too exhausted to be witty.

In an instant, she understood why Lehnsherr and the other little brats followed Xavier so loyally, as a sense of forgiveness and compassion engulfed her, making her feel appreciated in a way she hadn’t felt in a long time, _Let me explain._ he said.

 

* * *

 

 

Once everyone was freed, Mystique and Marya (and Azazel) started herding them out the door; Azazel in front, his back to them, Mystique nearly at his side, and Marya in the rear, making sure they stayed together. They came to a cross section and stopped for a moment; Mystique turned right just as Azazel turned left.

“Where are you going?” he growled, “You’ll go too close to the fight. Not so good for the little ones, da?”

“We have to get them out as quickly as possible. We need to get them onto the boat and towards the city.” Mystique said, “This way is the fastest.”

Azazel growled and grabbed her elbow when she tried to go down the right hallway again, “Nyet, not that way. If you go that way, Shaw will see you and he will kill you and the children.” he said, “If we go this way, my way, we will come out at the side of the building and circle around to the docks to your boat.”

Mystique ripped her elbow out of his grip and glared at him. They stared one another down for a long moment, the building thundering around them.

“How can we trust you?” Mystique asked, narrowing her eyes.

Azazel shrugged, “You cannot trust me.” he said, “But I speak the truth anyway.”

Mystique grumbled, “Fine, but if I catch a whiff of funny business, I’ll knife you.” she hissed.

The demonic man only grinned, “Eto normal'no so mnoy.” he said. He turned down the left hallway, “Come on, we should hurry.”

They hurried down the left hall just as another explosion rocked the building, sending dust raining down on them from the ceiling. Whatever Erik and his team were doing, they were doing it loudly.

 

* * *

 

 

Erik groaned as he was thrown backwards, skidding on the concrete. They were throwing all they had at Shaw, but he was just throwing it right back at them, literally. Overwhelming him wasn’t working, and trying to sneak up on him wasn’t either. The only time they had gotten close was when Hank had managed to surprise him and clawed him across the cheek. The angry red slashes hadn’t lasted long, as the energy he absorbed just healed him.

They were losing. Badly.

Alex crashed into him, having also been thrown, “What the hell are we doing? We need Charles, we need something.”

Erik growled and shook off the wooziness, standing back up, “We’re distracting him long enough for the others to get out. We’ll figure it out later.” he said.

Alex didn’t look convinced, but he accepted the hand Erik offered him. Hank and Darwin were doing their best to take on Shaw, but they needed to get back in there, no matter how sore they were.

“Shaw could kill us all if he wanted to. Why isn’t he?” Alex asked, mostly to himself, “Is he just trying to screw with us?”

“He doesn’t want to level the place. He still thinks the kids are inside.” Erik said, “We have to make him believe that.”

Alex nodded and charged back into the fray, letting fly a blast that shook the very ground, but didn’t even phase Shaw. They had to stop him, like Charles had done, but none of them could do what Charles did. They needed a telepath.

_You rang, darling?_

Erik stalled just as he was about to join the fight again, _Frost? What the hell?_

 _Miss Frost has agreed to help us._ came Charles’ voice alongside hers, _We had a lovely conversation about it._

 _And we trust her?_ Erik said back bitingly. She was on Shaw’s side, she could betray them.

 _I haven’t been on Shaw’s side. I don’t think I ever was. I have always looked after myself and myself alone. I just needed a little push._ Frost replied, sounding haughty and superior even when she was projecting, _Just leave Shaw to me, I’ll get him distracted and let Xavier wiggle in behind me._

 _Can’t you stop him?_ Erik asked, finally rejoining the fight by trying to wrap some steel cables around Shaw.

 _I’m not powerful enough for that. Well, I probably am, but I’d rather leave the heavy lifting to you big strong men._ Frost drawled, sarcasm evident enough for Erik to roll his eyes at her.

 _So you just have to get the helmet off of him and we’ll be set._ Charles said, _Please hurry._

 _I’m on it._ Erik twisted the cables to aim for the helmet, hopefully out of Shaw’s line of sight. It was hard to know where he was looking, the helmet cast his face in shadow.

Just as Erik was getting close, Shaw let out another blast, bigger than the rest. Erik and the others were thrown backwards; Erik landed hard on the concrete floor, Alex was thrown back into Darwin and they slammed into a wall, while Hank was thrown into a pile of debris and let out a pained howl.

“Hank!” Erik called the moment he got his breath back. He struggled to stand; his right leg felt numb and strange. He looked around frantically, trying to assess the damage. Hank had been impaled in the side with what looked like a broken pipe, Darwin was knocked out from the impact with the wall, and Alex was conscious but bleeding from a gash above his eye, effectively blinding him on that side.

Shaw let out a sigh, “I was hoping for more than this, Erik.” he said, ignoring the teenagers and walking toward Erik, “You have so much potential, but you keep wasting your time with these people.” Erik tried to stand again, but his leg was refusing to work properly, “Perhaps I can have better luck with your children. The little girl shows an astounding amount of promise. With a little training, I can make her into a powerful weapon.”

Erik growled, “She’s not a weapon, she’s a child. She’s _my_ child.”

“Yes, I was surprised.” Shaw grinned, “I had no idea you had taken the time. When we got the information out of the seer, I was absolutely shocked, but I was equally excited. The next generation, ready to be molded into the saviors of mutant kind.” Shaw spread his arms like he was presenting to the whole world, “It’s been marvelous, comparing notes from you and your children. And I’ve only scratched the surface.”

Erik didn’t want to hear this anymore, his anger roiling inside. He could feel all of the metal surrounding him, waiting for his command, but he didn’t move just yet. He controlled his rage and waited for the right moment, when Shaw would slip up and give him an opening.

Shaw smiled again and reached out with his foot and stepped down on Erik’s ankle. Pain lanced up his leg like fire and he couldn’t stop himself from crying out.

 _Erik!_ Charles’ voice sounded in his head, slightly panicked.

“But that’s the thing about the next generation, you know. Once it’s here, the old generation becomes obsolete, unnecessary. I’m sorry Erik, but I have no further use for you.” Shaw said, his smile turning sad, like he regretted having to do this. Erik tried to think through the pain, tried to focus enough to protect himself, to knock Shaw down, to do _something_ rather than just lie there and wait to be killed.

“Goodbye Erik. You’ll be missed.” Shaw said as he raised his hand, energy coiling into it, ready to fire and obliderate Erik where he lay.

 _I hope the children are safe._ Erik thought as he shut his eyes.

 

* * *

 

 

 _Azazel, I need your help._ Emma’s voice was urgent in Azazel’s mind. He might go as far as to say she sounded a little panicked.

His steps didn’t falter behind Mystique as they finally got out of the building and headed for the boats. He looked around for an unfamiliar boat, but they surprisingly went straight for Shaw’s boat. Clever, taking his boat would stop him from following and it was sure to be big enough for everyone.

 _I’m a little busy._ he answered, helping get the children onto the boat and showing the human woman where the keys were.

_I noticed. Shaw will be unhappy with you._

_He won’t be able to catch me._ Azazel countered.

Smugness poured off of Emma, _He won’t be able to if he’s dead._

Azazel stopped short, nearly dropping a fat child into the water. He caught the boy at the last second using his tail and put him onto the boat. Mystique glared at him, _You’re suggesting we kill him? How?_

Inside the compound, in Emma’s room where she was packing her things, she grinned, _I have an idea._

 

* * *

 

 

Erik squeezed his eyes shut, trying to focus hard enough to move something, but it was no use. He waited for Shaw to end it, praying that Mystique and Marya had gotten the children out.

There was a concussive noise and a pained gasp and Erik winced. When he realized after a second that he was still alive, he opened his eyes and looked up. Shaw was still standing over him, a large knife sticking out from his chest. Azazel was behind him, holding the other end of the knife; Erik put together that he’d teleported the knife through Shaw’s chest, which was the noise he’d heard.

Azazel grinned and leaned forward so his mouth was next to Shaw’s ear, “Absorb _that_ , ublyudok.” he hissed, then yanked the knife out through Shaw’s back.

Shaw let out a voiceless groan, blood pouring from his chest and back. He wobbled on his feet for a moment and his eyes connected with Erik’s. Erik reveled in the look of confusion and shock on his face before rolling to the side as Shaw fell forward, landing with a wet thump, blood pooling around him. Erik reached a hand out and pressed his fingers to his pulse.

Shaw was dead.

Erik took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter is long. But it was so much fun to write. The fighting scenes are really crappy because I can't write fighting scenes. Whoopsie. There's a lot of turncoat-ing here, but I foreshadowed it so much that I don't think it's a surprise to anyone at this point.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm %96 sure that the next chapter will be the last, and then there will probably be an epilogue before I write a sort of sequel to this. I'm still sort of moving in to my new place right now, getting my shit organized mostly, but yay for happy reunions!

The drive back to the house was a mixture of tension and boneless numbness. Charles fussed over Hank, whose injury wasn’t as severe as first assumed. The pipe that had gone through his side hadn’t nicked any vital organs, so the surgery to remove it would be simple (Azazel apparently was a skilled emergency surgeon, and had volunteered his services). Erik’s leg would need a cast, Darwin was fine once he came to, and the gash above Alex’s eye was easily fixed with stitches. All in all, they would be fine. Still, Charles fussed over each and every one of them like they had all been brought to death’s door.

Erik glanced to the red skinned man who had joined them; the man who had killed Shaw. Azazel was leaning over Hank, gently prodding around the wound. He’d raided Shaw’s lab for supplies and was doing his best to stop the bleeding.

“You will be fine.” he said again to reassure Hank, “I have seen many injuries like this. If you are strong, you will walk away from this no problem.”

“Good to know.” Hank said, voice a pained grumble, “Didn’t you grab anything for the pain?”

Azazel shrugged, “Shaw had nothing to numb pain.” he said.

“Of course not.” Hank groaned, setting his head down and closing his eyes. Charles reached over and took his hand.

“You all did so wonderfully.” Charles said, smiling, “I’m proud of you all.”

“Can we drive a little faster?” Alex whined, looking over at Darwin in the driver’s seat.

“Chill man, I’m going to speed limit.” Darwin replied, taking a corner.

Alex grumbled and fidgeted; Erik understood. Waiting for them at the docks were Mystique and the children, including Alex’s brother and Erik’s children. He couldn’t help but be nervous about meeting them. What if they didn’t like him? Would he be a terrible father? Panic bloomed in his chest and he sucked in a breath.

Immediately, Charles was in his mind, a soothing presence among the anxious storm, _It’s alright Erik, calm your mind. Your children will love you. You will be a wonderful father. Don’t worry so much._

 _Easy for you to say, you’re not going to meet your children for the first time._ Erik said. A little mean, but he was in quite a bit of pain.

Charles glanced over at him from his vigil next to Hank and gave him a small, slightly tight smile. Erik felt a little guilty, but he leaned into Charles’ presence in his mind anyway, enjoying the comfort.

Darwin pulled over at the docks; across the bay they could see rising smoke from the warehouse. They’d set the place alight as they’d left, leaving Shaw’s corpse inside, erasing him and his work in one giant bonfire.

The moment the bus stopped, Alex was out the door, calling out for Mystique. He needed to get to his brother, he couldn’t take it anymore. Was he okay? Was he hurt? Did he remember him?

“Scott! Where are you?” Alex called, looking around, slightly frantic. Weren’t they supposed to be here by now?

“We’re over here!” Marya called, stepping out from a shaded part of the docks, a little alley with crates stacked high on either side. Alex ran over, calling for Scott.

“Alex?” Scott looked up, “Alex!” he ripped himself from Mystique’s side and ran out into the open air.

Alex nearly burst into tears at the sight of his little brother, “Scott!”

Scott ran as fast as his little legs could carry him. Alex dropped to his knees and spread his arms to catch the little boy just as he reached him. Scott jumped into his arms so hard he knocked them backwards onto the asphalt. Scott was crying and Alex was laughing so hard that he was crying, holding his little brother tightly to his chest and stroking his hair.

“I’ve got you buddy. I’m here now. I’ve got you.” he said through his hiccup-y laughter.

Scott buried his face into Alex’s chest, “You came for me.” he sobbed, “You came to get me.”

“Of course I did buddy.” Alex said, “And I’m never gonna let you go again. I promise.”

Scott just sobbed and sniffled into Alex’s chest, clinging to him like a limpet. For once, Alex didn’t give a shit about his image, he just couldn’t believe that he had his brother back.

Darwin came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder smiling down at the two of them. Alex smiled back and patted Scott’s back so he would look up.

“This is Darwin. He’s a really good friend of mine. He’s going to live with us, okay?” Alex explained. They could go into greater detail about their relationship when Scott was older, when he could understand.

Scott nodded and went back to clinging to Alex. Darwin chuckled and helped Alex to his feet. Mystique and Marya began bringing the rest of the children out onto the dock so they could load them onto the bus.

Erik sat a little straighter as the children started to get onto the bus. He watched for any set of children that looked like they could be his. His eyes stayed on what looked like a set of twins, boy and a girl, but their hair was too dark to be from either himself or Madga. Finally, Marya got onto the bus, two children in tow, one with dark brown, curly hair, and the other with shocking white hair; Wanda and Pietro. Erik sucked in a breath and watched as they came closer to him, coming to a stop just in front of him.

Marya gave him a small smile, then turned to speak to the children, “This is Erik.” she said, “He knew your other mother before you were born.”

Wanda and Pietro looked up at her and then at him. Pietro looked a little suspicious, but Wanda barely met his eyes, shy he suspected. He tried to smile kindly at them, but he didn’t know how well he pulled it off. In any case, Marya directed them to sit next to him on one side, herself on the other. He resisted the urge to pull them both close and check them for injuries.

“Hank! What happened?” Mystique cried, rushing over to sit next to him, the little white haired girl still curled in her arms.

“Fell on a pipe. Azazel is helping.” Hank wheezed, still in a lot of pain, “He says he can fix it.”

“I will if we can get you to a place where I can work.” Azazel grumbled, still trying to assess the damage.

“We’re going to the house next, no worries.” Charles said, “All the children are okay?”

Mystique placed the little girl next to her, “As okay as they can be after being captive like that.”

“Poor things.” Charles cooed, peering down at the little white haired child and smiling, “Don’t worry my dear, we’ll get you home.”

“I don’t think she speaks English.” Mystique said.

“That one is from Kenya. Speaks Swahili.” Azazel said. The children shrank away from him when he looked.

“I suppose quite a few of them won’t speak English.” Charles said, “I might have to act as a translator.”

“You speak Swahili?” Hank asked.

“No, but I can translate their thoughts. I can even learn languages from other people if I have enough time. I would try to do it with children though.” Charles explained, “Anyway, for now we’ll have to mime everything.”

When everyone was settled onto the bus, they drove off toward the house. Nearly all of the children fell asleep on the way there, exhausted from the excitement. It took several trips to bring them all inside. Alex took Scott up to his room and laid him down on the bed; he was passed out cold.

Darwin came into the room just as Alex was tucking him in, “Hey man.” he said, “Need to get your head looked at.”

“Yeah yeah, in a sec.” Alex said, not really paying attention. He was too busy watching the slow rise and fall of his brother’s chest, not quite believing he was there.

Darwin sat down on the bed next to his boyfriend and wrapped an arm around him, pulling him close, “Looks just like you.” he said.

“My hair is lighter.” Alex said, like a reflex, “I look more like mom, he looks more like dad.”

“You must have had one hot momma.” Darwin said, earning himself an elbow in the ribs. It served its purpose though, and Alex turned away from his brother to smile at him.

“Can you stay with him while I go get stitched up?” he asked, “I don’t think anything will happen, I just—”

“I get it man.” Darwin cut him off, “Go downstairs, get stitched, get cleaned up, We’ll be here when you get back.”

Alex gave Darwin a grateful smile and leaned over to kiss him. Darwin hummed in approval and tilted his head to deepen the kiss. Alex stood up and left the room with one last glance at the two most important people in his life. Darwin smiled and turned to watch over the little boy he knew he would always be second place to, but he really didn’t mind anyway.

 

* * *

 

 

“You will live.” Azazel said, dropping the pipe into the trash, splattering a little blood on the floor, “You will be sore for a while, and it will scar, but you will live.”

“Good to know.” Hank moaned, trying not to curl up in pain, knowing he would only make it worse.

Azazel grinned, “Of course, if the wound becomes septic, you will die. No chance to save you.” he said. Hank glared and he only shrugged, “I am only saying the truth.”

“ _Thank you_ , Azazel.” Charles said, “But I think Hank will be fine now. Why don’t you take a look at the others?”

Azazel shrugged again and picked up the duffle of pilfered medical supplies, leaving the room that had been designated for Hank to recover in. He may not have been a doctor, but he did have other patients to look to.

Mystique was waiting for him in the hall. He flicked his tail and looked her up and down. She had changed out of the tight black clothing that she had been wearing earlier, or maybe she had shapeshifted them. Either way, he could see much more of her scaly blue skin now, and cursed himself for being a little too keen.

She pushed off the wall that she had been leaning against and got right up to his face. He was taller than her by at least half a foot, but she simply corrected that with her powers so they were eye to eye.

“What are you playing at?” she growled.

Azazel quirked an eyebrow, “Playing? I am not playing.” he said, then he grinned, “Would you like to play?”

She wrinkled her nose in disgust, “What the hell are you doing here?” she rephrased, “Why did you help us?”

Azazel’s tail flicked behind him as he put together an answer, “Shaw had become unmanageable.” he said after a beat, “His methods were too extreme, and he began to fail as a competent leader.”

“You seemed to have no trouble with him before, when he wanted to blow up the planet.” she hissed.

“The plan was not to blow up the planet, but to create a planet for mutants.” Azazel said, “A worthy pursuit.”

“It’s even crazier than raising a child army to slaughter all humans.” Mystique said, refraining from yelling, lest they attract attention.

“It is inefficient.” Azazel said, “Too messy.”

She snorted, “Of course that’s what you—”

“And it involved children.”

Mystique stopped, “What?”

Azazel looked away from her, not really liking opening up to her, but he felt like he could with this woman; how strange, “I like children.” he said, quietly, “They are small and fragile, but so trusting. I like them. I don’t like to see them get hurt.”

Mystique stared at him critically, trying to figure out if he was lying or not. She crossed her arms and stepped back, shrinking back to her original height.

“I’m watching you.” she hissed.

He grinned, “I am counting on it.” he said.

 

* * *

 

Erik watched from the kitchen door as Marya looked over the twins and patched up whatever injuries they had. His leg was in a splint for now, and would need a proper cast probably, but for now he could walk on it if he didn’t try to lean on it. Marya kissed their foreheads and started looking after the other kids that needed attention.

“Erik?” she called, startling him a little, “Can you make something for these kids to eat? I’ve got my hands full.”

Erik nodded and set about pulling things from the fridge. There wasn’t much, but he could make a simple spaghetti. He got out the cutting board and got to work. He didn’t notice the eyes watching him until he was halfway through chopping the vegetables. He glanced down to see a dozen or so pairs of tiny eyes watching as he manipulated the metal knives and pots and spoons, fascinated. He raised an eyebrow and spun the knife around a few times, just to show off a little. A couple of them giggled and moved closer to watch. He smiled and went back to cooking, maneuvering around the tiny bodies that followed his every move.

“You’ve got a fanbase.” Marya said, chuckling and she put a band-aide over a scraped knee, “I forgot how good you are with kids.”

“I kind of forgot myself.” Erik said. He felt a tug on his shirt and looked down at a little redhead.

“Are you like me?” she asked, green eyes wide and curious.

“I don’t know. What can you do?” Erik asked.

She shuffled her feet a little, “I can move stuff with my head.” she admitted after a moment.

“Well, I can make metal do what I want it to with my head, so we’re almost the same.” Erik explained. She smiled up at him, “What’s your name?” he asked.

“Jean Grey.” she said, bouncing a little, “I can also hear people’s thoughts if I concentrate.”

Erik raised an eyebrow, “I know someone who can do that.” he said, “I’m sure he’d like to meet you.”

Jean flushed a little under the attention. One of the other children, a blonde girl, started jumping excitedly, “I can make sound into light!” she said. Almost immediately the other children started shouting about what they could do, some trying to show off. Erik held up his hands and got them to settle down.

“Why don’t we wait until we get to the mansion for demonstrations?” he said, turning back to cooking, “There will be much more room.”

The children were mollified for a moment. Jean tugged on his shirt again, “Are we gonna go home soon?” she asked, sounding a little worried now.

The other children looked up at him, waiting for an answer. Erik smiled at them, “Yes. You will all go home to your families, if you have them. I promise.” he said.

The children smiled and went back to watching Erik use his powers with fascination. They probably hadn’t thought that powers could be used like this, in a useful, productive manner. Shaw had probably filled their heads with the lie that their powers would only serve as weapons for his cause. The thought of it made Erik’s blood boil, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it now that Shaw was dead.

Shaw was dead.

He had his revenge.

The thought washed over Erik so suddenly that he stopped chopping for a moment. The thought of his mother avenged and finally laid to rest was so overwhelming that he wobbled where he stood a little. The children watched him curiously.

“Are you okay?” Jean asked.

“I’m fine.” Erik said quickly, going back to his work, “Just fine.”

 

* * *

 

Once everyone was fed and cleaned and stitched and bandaged, most of the children went out like lights, going right to sleep. Erik, Marya, Mystique, and Darwin somehow managed to arrange everyone in rooms so there would be at least one trustworthy adult nearby to help. Azazel had patched any injuries up as best he could with what he had and flopped down on the sofa in the living room. Despite his reservations about the man, Charles had offered to put him in a room with a bed, but the red man only waved him off, stating that he’d slept in worse places.

With the morning light came chaos. The children all woke in various states of distress from nightmares, and when one started crying, it caused a chain reaction that was hard to contain. It took Erik scrambling to make breakfast to calm everyone down enough to get things rolling. The flight back to the United States would be long, and not everyone spoke enough English to really understand the situation, causing even more problems. Azazel offered to simply teleport the children back to their homes, but Charles insisted on bringing them back to the mansion so he could analyze them properly and take down their documentation, just in case they needed help in the future.

The flight was a horror, since few of the children had ever flown before, making them either scared or too excited to sit still. Three children got airsick, including Scott, and there was nothing to clean the carpet with until they landed. To top it off, they somehow recognised that Erik was the top dog and seemed to only listen to him at any given moment. All in all, it was an _extremely_ long flight.

When they were blessedly back at the mansion, they released the little hellions out into the yard to run off the last of whatever energy they had that day and get it out of their systems, with Alex and Darwin standing guard. Erik and Marya went to the kitchen to cook, while Charles, Hank, Mystique, and Azazel went down into the halfway completed medical centre in the basement to patch Hank up the rest of the way.

“So how are we getting these kids back to their families?” Hank asked, in less pain now that he’d had a few drugs pumped into him, “We can’t really hand them over to the authorities, not without the CIA poking its nose into things.”

“Yes, we should probably avoid that if we can.” Charles admitted, “As much as I’d love for there to be peace among us, I don’t think we’re at that stage yet.”

Azazel huffed at the ‘peace’ comment, “I offered to take them back to their homes directly.” he said.

“That’s a terrible idea.” Mystique said, narrowing her yellow eyes at him.

“No, he may be right.” Charles said, “It’s the quickest way and has the least yellow tape for the government to get their noses in. And Azazel knows where each child lives specifically, making things easier on us.”

“Some children, I don’t think should go back.” Azazel said, “They are better off elsewhere.”

Charles rubbed his eyes, “There’s not a whole lot we can do about that.” he said, “If it looks like a bad situation, we can call social services, but we can’t _keep_ these children. Not legally anyway.”

“What about Scott?” Mystique asked, sounding worried, “They can’t take Scott away from Alex, can they?”

“Alex is nearly an adult, and Scott was taken from an orphanage. I doubt they’ll put up much of a fight.” Charles said.

The room went quiet for a little while, “The little African one, with white hair; she has no home. I took her from the street.” Azazel said, “No is looking for her, not even the government.”

Charles sighed, “Well, that makes it easy at least. Which are the other ones that come from bad situations?”

Azazel thought for a moment, “The little ugly toad one, he came from an orphanage in England somewhere. The oldest one, Wyngarde, he’s from a carnival. The little French-Canadian twins are from an orphanage as well. There is one little girl who was in a mental hospital, and then the little African girl from the streets and the little brother.” he listed.

“You wouldn’t happen to know their names, would you?” Mystique groused.

“Thank you Azazel, we’ll see what we can do.” Charles said.

 

* * *

 

Erik was silent as he and Mayra worked on dinner. Now that they were here, his children, alive and safe and _here_ , he had so many things he wanted to say, to ask, but he had no idea where to start.

“I’m going to tell them you’re their father.” Marya said suddenly, snapping him out of his contemplation, “They already know about their ‘other mother’, and they sort of know that there’s an ‘other father’ as well, but they’re still pretty young, so I’ll have to explain it to them.”

Erik didn’t say anything, so Marya continued, “I think they’re going to like it here. It’s so big and grand. Pietro will love running around through the halls, and I think Wanda is going to like the big property to explore. They like to play hide and seek without mentioning that they’re playing hide and seek so you’ll—”

“I think they should go home with you.” Erik cut her off, “You’re their mother. I’m . . . a sperm donor.”

Marya looked up at him for a moment and then punched him in the shoulder, hard, “You fucking idiot.”

“Ow! What the hell?” Erik growled. After all these years, Marya still knew how to make her bony knuckles hurt like a bastard.

“They’re your children you moron! They know that! They need you in their lives!” she shouted at him, “If you’re not around, they will always wonder why. They will always wonder why you weren’t around.” her voice got softer, “And Erik, I can’t protect them.”

Erik looked at her, slightly shocked. Mayra sighed and ran a hand through her hair, “I’m so out of my depth Erik. When it was just you, it was easy to not think about it too hard. Now, with everything that just happened over the last two days?” she looked frazzled now, “I can’t Erik. I just can’t. I don’t belong in this world.”

“You can’t just leave.” Erik insisted, getting a little angry, “You raised them as your own. You’re their _mother_.”

She punched him again, less painfully, “I’m not leaving, asshole. At least, not entirely. I’ll still come around. Hell, I might even move to the area if I can. But . . . Erik when they were taken from me, all I could think of was when the Nazi’s came.” she said, casting her gaze downward.

Erik sucked in a breath as she continued, “I thought I had lost them Erik, just like I lost everything back then. I can’t— I can’t go through that again. I need you to protect them from the things that I can’t. I know that the government is looking into them, into you. Your people.” Marya looked up at him, eyes shining, “You have to protect them Erik. You can’t let them do it again.”

Erik stared down at her, knowing that this was killing her inside, “I’ll protect them.” he promised, “This place . . . Charles is going to turn this place into a school, a safe place for our kind.”

“Sounds nice.” Marya said, turning back to the pot she had been stirring.

Erik returned to the counter to where he’d been chopping potatoes, “We’re going to teach the children how to control their powers, and how to use them to their best potential.”

Marya stopped for a moment, “Sounds a little dangerous.”

“It can be.” Erik said, “But it’s the best feeling in the world, Marya. I can’t explain it. When I first came here, I was still mostly doing coin tricks. Now I could lift an entire lot of cars with ease. It’s not just power Marya, it’s strength. Inner strength. I want Pietro and Wanda to have that. I want all mutants to have that, the way we never did, not even so many years later.”

Marya looked up at him, “Alright.” she said, though she still sounded worried, “Alright.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Scott! Erik and the twins! So much cute! Also I headcanon that Erik is actually really good with small children.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally done! We reached the end guys! Holy shit!  
> So this last chapter is mostly just wrapping things up as well as opening up other avenues for this Alternate Canon type thing. I'm going to make two other fics connected to this probably. One for little one-off stories and one for the story of Nightcrawler ('cause I've been setting that up and also Kurt's my favourite character ever).  
> The beginning of the story is mostly just me flexing what I know about the Marvel 'verse. I had to look a lot of it up. The one little kid that doesn't have a name is supposed to be Forge (the character is how old and he doesn't have a canon name, what the shit?). Hopefully I got everything right, but if I didn't, feel free to tell me so and I'll fix it!

The next day, once everyone was given a clean bill of health and had their information stored away for when they truly came into their powers, Azazel, with the help of Mystique, began returning the children to their homes.

Little Jean Grey was taken back to her home in Annandale-on-Hudson to her loving parents. John and Elaine were so happy to see her that they burst into tears and thanked Mystique for nearly half an hour, insisting that she come inside and have dinner. Mystique, in her blonde form, politely refused, but gave them a newly made card for the school Charles was starting and asked them to keep in touch.

Wyngarde, at nearly fourteen, was the oldest, and admitted to having no home or family, but insisted that he be returned to the carnival, despite Charles offering him a home at Westchester. Azazel and Mystique left him a few minutes’ walk from where he said the carnival would be.

Shiro Yoshida’s father, Japanese UN delegate Saburo Yoshida, who had returned to Japan to help in the investigation in his son’s appearance, had been so shocked when Mystique returned Shiro to him that he nearly passed out backwards into his brother Tomo’s arms. He thanked Mystique as well, claiming to be indebted to her for life for the return of his son. Or at least Mystique thought that’s what he said, her Japanese was shoddy at best and he was too overwhelmed to speak proper English.

John Proudstar’s family at Camp Verde, Arizona, were similarly grateful for the return of their son. Mystique couldn’t stay very long though, and left them with the same card she had given the other families.

The little boy whose name they weren’t sure of, turned out to belong to a Cheyenne tribe, and was returned to them. Mystique tried to learn his name from his family, but was swept up by grateful relatives before she could hear it.

Alison Blaire’s father wasn’t home, but her grandmother was and fell down crying at the poor state of her grandchild. She immediately began making a meal and insisted that Mystique take some when she wouldn’t sit down to join them.

Fred Dukes was also returned to his family in Texas, though Mystique was accused of being the kidnapper and nearly got shot. Azazel managed to get her out of the situation just in time, scaring the wits out of the family with his satanic appearance.

The last of the children would be staying at Westchester, since they had nowhere else to go. Alex filed for custody of Scott, but it would be a while before the paperwork came through. Even so, no one came to put Scott into a foster home in the meantime, either intimidated by Charles’ wealth or by Alex shouting at them over the phone.

Jean-Paul and Jeanne-Marie Beaubier, as it was discovered, hadn’t known about one another until they had been taken from their respective orphanages. Once the situation had been explained to them, they had become inseparable, refusing to even be in different rooms. As with Mortimer Toynbee, Charles had to contact the orphanages they had been living at to inform them that they had been found and were being enrolled in a new school. There would be more bureaucratic tape than was preferable, but Charles wasn’t about to let them go back to the unloving arms that were the foster system.

Mary Walker was the hardest to deal with. As a patient at a mental hospital, it was probably in her best interests to go back there, but it seemed as though her family had just left her there and forgotten about her. Charles didn’t exactly want to leave her in a place that was more concerned with containing her away from others than it was about helping her, especially when he was certain that he could help her more with his telepathy.

As for little Ororo Munroe, Azazel hadn’t been lying. There was no one looking for her. After the death of her parents, she’d simply been left to her own devices on the streets of Cairo. The government had no file on her, there were no relatives to look for her, nothing; so there was no one to inform or notify that they were keeping her. It didn’t sit right with Charles, but there wasn’t anything that he could do.

“And I think that’s everything.” Charles said, leaning back in his chair, “At least, that’s all I’m willing to do tonight.”

“Why is there so much paperwork?” Erik growled, “How can a few little kids generate so much paperwork?”

“Half of it is for the school. You can’t just declare yourself a school and start teaching kids. We want to be as legal as possible.” Charles said, “We don’t want the government sniffing around where they’re not wanted.”

“Got that right.” Erik hissed lowly, menacing.

Charles looked up at him, “What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn’t you be with Marya and the kids?”

Erik looked away and Charles sighed, “Go on Erik. I’ll be fine. You need to get to know your children.” he said.

Erik contemplated staying for at least a little while longer, if only to help Charles with the mountains of paperwork. One pointed look from Charles was all the answer he needed to know the reaction to that particular excuse. He stood up and left the study, wandering off to find where Marya and the children were playing.

Marya was sitting outside, watching Scott try to lead everyone in a game of hide and seek and failing. It looked more like a game of ‘tag and go hide’ to Erik, but they seemed to be having fun anyway. He sat down next to Marya and waited.

“I haven’t explained yet, but I think I will at bedtime tonight.” she said after a few minutes, “Are you going to be there?”

“Do you think I should be?” Erik asked.

“Yes.” she answered so quickly she nearly cut him off. They stayed there for a few minutes, watching the children play. Eventually Marya spoke again. “I have to leave soon.”

“Marya.” he growled.

“Here me out.” she said before he could get angry, “I have my job and the house and my husband to go figure out back home. I’m not leaving forever, but I need some time to get things in order.”

“How long?” Erik asked.

“I don’t know.” Marya sighed, “But I’m going to leave the kids here. I don’t want them around when Django and I fight.”

Erik nodded, “Alright.” he said, “I’ll take care of them.”

Marya leaned against him, “Of course you will. You’re their Vati.”

“Vati.” Erik repeated, rolling to word over his tongue. It had been so long since he had heard that word in relation to himself. He expected it to be painful, and it was, but not as much as he’d thought it would be. He looked out to watch Wanda and Pietro laughing and chasing Mortimer around on the grass. He smiled felt more relaxed than he had in a long time.

 

* * *

 

 

Mystique wandered down the halls aimlessly. After everything that had happened, she still had too much energy to lie down and rest. She had been sitting with Hank for a while, but he’d dropped off to sleep a while ago, leaving her to her own devices. Alex and Darwin were trying to figure out the custody claim for Scott, while the ‘adults’ were either filing paperwork or taking care of the children. She had no idea where Azazel was, and for all she cared, he could have left without saying a word.

A loud ‘bamf’ noise and the reek of sulfur told her that he was still very much here, “What do you want?” she growled.

“So hostile.” Azazel said, grinning and following behind her, “Haven’t you warmed up to me yet?”

“No, and I never will.” Mystique said, continuing to walk down the halls, slightly faster.

Azazel kept pace with her, but didn’t say anything else. She sped up and he did the same. After a few minutes of this, she whipped around to face him. He stopped just short of crashing into her, but didn’t step back, forcing her to either look up at him or back down and take a step back. He was still grinning.

“Is there something you want?” she hissed,

“No.” Azazel said, then he seemed to think about it, “Yes.”

Mystique sighed, “What do you want?”

“I want to talk to you.” Azazel said, and this time his smile was softer, more genuine, “I’m interested in you.”

Mystique huffed, “Well I’m not.” she turned on her heel and made to walk away.

Azazel reached out and grabbed her elbow, “Wait.” he started to say, but instinct took over and Mystique whirled around with a roundhouse kick. He blocked her and fell back into a fighting stance, but she seemed to realize that she’d made a mistake.

“Oh, sorry.” Mystique said, then she glared, “Don’t grab me like that.”

Azazel put his hands up in a mock surrender, “My apologies.” he said, “But honestly, I do wish to speak with you.”

Mystique raised an eyebrow, “Why?”

“Is it not obvious?” Azazel asked, grinning again, “I think you are interesting.”

Mystique groaned and rolled her eyes, but Azazel kept talking, “Let me finish. As you may have noticed, I look rather strange.” he said, gesturing to his face and flicking his tail a little forcefully, “I watch you, and I see a . . . contemporary. Someone who understands.”

Mystique looked up, “Really?” she asked, “You think we’re alike?”

“Are we not?” Azazel tilted his head, “Do you not know what it is like to have to hide behind a mask every time you go out into the world, to hide your true self, lest you be called ‘monster’?” he stepped closer to her, into her space, but she didn’t feel threatened. Oddly enough it felt more . . . intimate, “Are you saying that you do not know what that is like?”

“I . . . I know the feeling.” Mystique said, looking up into his blue eyes. Her heart thudded a little in her chest, but she ignored.

Azazel hummed, “I thought you might. So I was hoping that maybe we could talk?” he phrased it like a question, making it sound almost hopeful.

Mystique considered all of her options; she knew she should spit in his face and leave, but she couldn’t help but be curious. He didn’t seem to be lying, but she had no way of knowing that. He smiled down at her and took a step back.

“I’ll let you think about it. I know I have not exactly been . . . trustworthy in the past.” he said, “Until then, spokoynoy nochi.” and with that, he disappeared into fire and smoke.

Mystique stared at the place where he’d been, trying to figure out what had just transpired. There was a lot to unpack; was Azazel telling the truth? Did he have some sort of goal? If so, what was it? Could he be trusted? Mystique walked down the hallway, turning these questions over in her head. Words from not that long ago, but what seemed like ages, came to mind.

 _A man is going to try and steal you away sometime soon._ The last words Irene had spoken to her. Was Azazel the man she’d been talking about? She closed her eyes and raised a hand to her lips, trying to remember the ghost of Irene’s mouth against hers.

 _You should let him._ Mystique smiled and stopped to look out the window at the setting sun. Whatever happened, she trusted Irene, and if that meant putting her trust in Azazel, so be it.

 

* * *

 

 

 _Good evening Miss Frost. Bahamas treating you well?_ Charles asked, trying to balance Cerebro on his head. It really might be easier without hair.

 _Ugh, Bahamas this time of year is ghastly. I should have gone to Cuba._ Frost said back along with a wave of disdain.

Charles chuckled a little, letting his amusement flow freely to her, _I don’t think that’s such a good idea, what with what happened there last time._

 _I wasn’t there ‘last time’, if you remember._ Frost said, _I was locked up in a cozy little prison cell that you and your boyfriend put me in._

 _Yes well, you were making quite a bit of trouble._ Charles said, choosing not to be worried about the ‘boyfriend’ comment.

Frost gave him a ‘tsk’, _If you’re worried about me ratting you out about your lifestyle, don’t. I’m the last person that would run off to the feds about such a trivial matter._

 _I suppose you have a point, but it’s one of those things one always has to worry about, you know?_ Charles said.

_True enough. So tell me, how is life on your little ranch of misfits?_

_Chaotic, and that’s all the information you’re getting about it._

_Touchy._  Emma teased, but she didn’t press any further into his mind, so he figured she wasn’t that invested, _So what do I owe the pleasure of this little house call? Checking in?_

 _More or less._ Charles admitted, _You are a fascinating person, Miss Frost, but you’re also extraordinarily dangerous. I’d rather not have you wander around all on your lonesome without anyone to keep tabs on you._

 _How kind of you._ Frost drawled, sounding perfectly disinterested, even in his head, _Well, this has been fun, but my drink is here and I have some important business to attend to._

 _Sunbathing?_ Charles asked.

_If I don’t pay attention, I’ll have unsavory tan lines. Though I doubt you’d know a thing about that, being as lily-white as you are._

_I’m of British stock._ Charles protested, _My people don’t tan even under the meager sun that we do get. We burn and then go pale again._

Emma laughed at him, _Have fun wrangling your newly acquired brats, Xavier._

Charles smiled, _I hear Aruba is nice this time of year._

 _I’ll keep that in mind._ Frost said as she cut the connection. Charles smiled again and started shutting down Cerebro.

 

* * *

 

 

“I can do it myself Alex.” Scott complained, “M’not little anymore.”

Alex smiled as he lathered shampoo into Scott’s hair, “Yeah I know man, but who knows what kind of crazy things you’ve been taught at that weird place? You gotta know how to get behind your ears and sh- stuff.” he said, saving himself at the last minute.

Scott rolled his eyes, but he wasn’t really putting up much of a fight. He was enjoying getting a bath just as much as Alex was enjoying giving him one. At age six, he was nearly grown up and able to do all the important things on his own, but it was nice to have his brother’s attention. Just this once, Scott could let his big brother take care of him.

“Close your eyes.” Alex said, taking up a cup so he could rinse the shampoo out of his hair. Scott shut his eyes tight and held his nose, scrunching up his face so much that he made Alex laugh, “You look like a blow fish little man.” he said.

“Do not!” Scott protested. Alex rinsed his hair again and took him out of the water, wrapping him up before he could get cold, “And I’m not little either.”

“Oh sorry, ‘big man’.” Alex teased, drying him off vigorously, “Come on, let’s get you into some pyjamas.”

Scott took Alex’s hand and they walked through the halls. He didn’t really need to hold Alex’s hand, but this place was so big that it would be really easy to get lost, so it only made sense to hold his hand. He really didn’t need to, he wasn’t a _baby_.

Scott didn’t have any clothes yet, but Alex had managed to find him a small enough shirt to wear as a night shirt without rolling the sleeves up, “We’re gonna have to get your stuff man. We’ll drive out tomorrow and get everything you left at the orphanage. Sound good?”

“Okay, but I didn’t really have a lot.” Scott said, “Just some clothes.” he said, looking a little far away, frowning at memories, “Oh! But we need to get Al!”

Alex raised an eyebrow, “Al?” he asked.

Scott nodded, “My teddy.” he said.

“Your teddy? The one mom gave you?” Alex asked, surprised. He didn’t think Scott would still have it.

“Yeah.” Scott nodded, “I can’t leave him there.”

“I thought your teddy was named Bert?” Alex said, setting up the bed. Charles had designated Scott a room that was right near Alex’s, knowing that they would probably want to be close by, just in case.

“He was, but I changed it.” Scott said. He flushed a little, “I thought if I named him Al he’d protect me like you did.”

Alex’s heart leapt into his throat and he choked back the sudden rush of emotions, “Oh Scott.” he said, gathering the little boy into his arms, “I’m so sorry.” he said, holding him tightly.

“What for?” Scott asked, wiggling further into his arms.

“I should have come for you sooner.” Alex said, trying not to sob, “I should have looked for you. I’m so sorry.”

Scott clutched Alex’s shirt, “It’s okay Alex. You’re here now, so it doesn’t matter that it took so long.” he said, “We’re together now, so we don’t have to be alone anymore.”

Alex smiled down at Scott, “Yeah, you’re right buddy. We’re always going to have each other, from now on, okay? I promise.”

“Pinky swear?” Scott asked, holding out his little finger. Alex laughed and linked his own little finger with Scott’s.

“Pinky swear.” he promised, “Now come on, bedtime.” he said, scooping Scott up and tossing him onto the bed. Scott laughed as he bounced and squealed as Alex swooped down to tickle him. They tussled for a minute or two before Alex threw the blankets over Scott’s head.

“Alright then, bedtime. For real this time.” he said.

Scott snuggled into the covers, “G’night Alex.”

“Night little man.” Alex said. Scott held out his arms for a hug and Alex obliged, kissing his forehead as he did.

“Promise we’ll play tomorrow?” Scott asked, eyes drooping.

“Promise.” Alex said, tucking Scott in again, “And the day after that, and the day after that, and every day from now on.”

“Forever?” Scott’s eyes were nearly closed, only his will power keeping him awake.

“Forever.” Alex said, flicking off the light, “Good night Scott.” he said one last time before he shut the door and left Scott to sleep. He smiled to himself and crossed the hall to his own bedroom.

“Hey man.” Darwin looked up from where he was sprawled across the covers, “Bath time go okay?”

“Yeah, it was great. He’s gotten so big.” Alex said, stripping off his shirt, “Last I saw him he was barely talking properly. Now he’s going to school and learning how to read and do math and everything. You know he’s the top of his class already? The lady on the phone said he’s reading a year ahead of everyone else.”

“That’s great. He musta got all the brains in the family.” Darwin teased, sliding his fingertips up Alex’s side.

Alex shoved him a little, “Shut up.” he said, “But yeah, he’s super smart. He’s gonna be smarter than me when he grows up, no question.”

Darwin smiled and sat up to kiss Alex, stroking his jaw, “I’m happy for you.” he said, nuzzling their noses together, “Really I am.”

“I’m happy too.” Alex said, “I’ve got my two best guys under one roof and everything is going my way. What’s there to be upset about?”

Darwin laughed and kissed him again, “Nothing.” he said, “You got it made.”

Alex smiled and leaned into Darwin, kissing him and running his hands up his stomach. Darwin hummed into the kiss and tugged Alex down so they were lying on the bed, pawing at each other and tugging at clothes. Darwin had just reached for Alex’s pants when there was a knock at the door.

They both stopped immediately, “Who’s there?” Alex called, looking equal parts confused and worried.

“Alex?” Scott called, opening the door a crack, “Can I sleep with you tonight?”

Alex visibly relaxed, “Sure buddy.” he said, “Close the door and come on up.”

Scott shut the door behind him and ran to the bed, crawling onto it without much preamble. Alex pulled the covers back and pulled him close. Darwin smiled and curled into Alex’s back, kissing his shoulder lightly.

“Hey little dude, mind if we share your brother?” Darwin asked, winking at Scott.

Scott looked up at him, “Sure. But only if you love him as much as I do.” he said, snuggling into Alex’s chest possessively.

Darwin laughed, “Trust me, I do.” he said as he leaned over to kiss Alex’s cheek. Alex smiled and turned so they could kiss properly, causing Scott to wrinkle his nose.

“Gross.” he complained, but he made himself comfortable and went to sleep, nestled in his brother’s protective arms.

Alex smiled, “Sorry Darwin, I know we were getting a little hot there, but—“

“Don’t worry about it.” Darwin said, pulling the blankets over them, “I’m not going to get jealous or anything, I know how much this means to you. I’m just happy I get to share.”

Alex laughed, “I’m the luckiest guy in the world.” he said. He settled in, comfortable between the two most important people in his life and had the soundest night’s sleep he’d had in years.

 

* * *

 

“Wanda, Pietro, come here for a moment.” Marya called, kneeling on the floor so she was at their level.

Her children, her _sisters’_ children, came rushing over to her, Wanda crawling into her lap and Pietro not far behind. She chuckled a little as the two of them tried to both sit on her lap without displacing the other. Eventually they settled down and looked up at her expectantly, waiting for what she had to say.

“Meine schöne Schätze. Do you remember when I told you about your other mother? My sister, the woman who gave birth to you?” she asked, wrapping her arms around them both.

They snuggled into her chest, “Yes, we remember.” Wanda said, speaking for them both. Pietro nodded vigorously.

“Well, she loved you very much.” Marya said, “And she had a husband who loved her very much.”

“She did?” Wanda asked, brown eyes wide.

“She did. And they loved each other so much that they made a baby.” Marya said, “And they named the baby Anya. She was your big sister.”

“Another sister?” Pietro wrinkled his nose.

Marya laughed, but Wanda frowned, “What happened to her?”

Marya stilled and picked her next words carefully, “She got hurt.” she said, “You see, the man who loved your mother, he had a special power. He could move metal with his mind.”

“Like Mr. Lehnsherr!” Pietro exclaimed excitedly.

“Yes, just like Mr. Lehnsherr.” Marya said, “In fact, Mr. Lehnsherr _is_ the man who loved your mother.”

“Really?” Wanda asked.

“Really.” Marya told them, “But when people found out about his powers, they got scared, because normal people can’t do what he does. They got so scared that they tried to hurt him.” she paused here, thinking of the little girl she’d only met once; so young, but so bubbly and full of life, “But they accidentally hurt Anya instead. They hurt her very badly.”

“Oh no.” Wanda gasped, hands flying to her mouth, “Was she okay?”

Marya smiled sadly, “No Liebling, she wasn’t okay.”

The three of them sat in silence for a moment, wrapped up in their thoughts. Wanda reached over and squeezed Pietro’s hand. She couldn’t imagine not having her brother, and she was so sad that she never got to meet her sister. Marya smiled and kissed them both on the top of their heads.

“Well, anyway, Mr. Lehnsherr got very very angry when they hurt Anya. So angry that he scared your mother very much. She was so scared that she ran away without telling him that she was pregnant with two more babies.” Marya explained, “Can you guess who those babies were?”

“Me and Wanda!” Pietro shouted, throwing his hands up, excited to have guessed faster than his sister.

“That’s right. And so, what do you think Mr. Lehnsherr is to you?” Marya asked. The twins looked up at her blankly, “Let me put it this way; if my sister was your other mother, your birth mother, then that would make her husband, Mr. Lehnsherr, your—?”

“Our other father?” Pietro guessed, tilting his head a little, “Is that right?”

“Yes, that’s right.” Marya said, “Erik— Mr. Lehnsherr is your other father.”

The twins were quiet for a moment, processing what she’d just told them. Wanda looked up, frowning again, “Why didn’t he come find us, if he’s our father?” she asked.

“He didn’t know Liebling.” Marya ran her fingers through Wanda’s tangle of brown curls, “He didn’t know until a few weeks ago. When he found out, he came to find you straight away.”

“He did? How come we didn’t see him?” Pietro asked.

Marya pressed her lips together, “The bad people who took you away? They came on the same day. He was coming to protect you, but he was just a little too late.” she explained, “But he didn’t mean to be, he would have come sooner of he had known.”

Wanda and Pietro looked at one another, communicating silently in the way that only twins seemed to know how to do. A floorboard creaked and they looked up to see Erik standing at the door.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” he said, “I just wanted to let you know that we’ve got their room set up.”

“Thank you Erik.” Marya said. Erik nodded and turned to leave.

“Wait!” Wanda cried, hopping off Marya’s lap and toddling over to Erik as fast as her little legs could carry her. She looked up at him and he looked down at her. She tugged on his pant leg and he crouched down, curious as to what she would do.

Slowly, like she might scare him off, Wanda reached out to touch Erik’s face. He stayed completely still, afraid that he might be the one to scare her off. Pietro joined his sister, but stayed at her side and waited for her to pass judgement on the man in front of them. Erik watched the two of them, terrified that he might frighten them, or fail whatever test Wanda was doing. For the first time in a long time, he felt too big; too tall, too strong, too _aware_ of his power and what he could do with it. He could move metal war machines with his mind, destroy an entire city of he really set his mind to it. And here were two of the smallest, frailest, most precious things in the world, standing close enough for him to reach out and touch. He clenched his fists a little; he’d squeezed the life out of dozens of men, barehanded on more than one occasion. He had blood on his hands, and it would never come out.

In the middle of Erik’s inner diatribe, the most incredible thing happened; Wanda smiled at him, big and bright and oh-so beautiful. His heart clenched so painfully in his chest that he thought it might burst. She stepped forward and wrapped her thin arms around his neck, resting her chin on his shoulder; her hair tickled his chin and nose. Behind her, Pietro grinned and wrapped his arms around his neck as well, resting his head on Erik’s other shoulder.

Slowly, like they might fade away like a dream, Erik wrapped his arms around the children, his children, holding them close for the first time. From across the room, Marya smiled at them, and if she saw tears in Erik’s grey eyes, well, she’d never tell.

After what seemed like forever, the two children pulled back, looking up at Erik, still smiling, “So what do we call you?” Wanda asked.

“Call me?” Erik was almost too dumbstruck to form coherent sentences.

“Yeah. You’re our other father, just like our other mother, but we call her Mutti.” Pietro explained, “So what do we call you?”

“Oh, um.” Erik searched his brain for an appropriate word, “Vati. Call me Vati.”

“Vati?” Wanda asked, tilting her head curiously.

Erik nodded, “It means ‘dad’ in German, just like ‘Mutti’ means ‘mom’ in German.” he explained, “Is that okay?”

They seemed to consider it for a moment before nodded, “It’s good, Vati.” they said together.

Erik nearly came apart right there, covering it by hugging the two of them close again, “I’m so glad.” he said. He controlled his breathing and tried to hold back the tears.

Marya groaned as she got up off the floor, “Well, I think that’s been enough excitement for one day, don’t you think?” she said, “Time for bed.”

“Awww.” the twins pouted, “But we want to stay up with Vati.”

“It’s nine o’clock. Nine is bedtime.” Marya said, “No exceptions.”

Brown and grey eyes turned to look up at Erik, “Vati, can we please stay up?” they asked in unison.

Erik was tempted to give in and let them stay up as long as they liked if that meant that they would stay with him. He knew better though, and he scooped them up into his arms; they were so light, he could probably carry them all day and never once get tired.

“No Lieblings, she’s right.” he said, “You need to go to bed. Or you’re going to be tired tomorrow.”

They pouted and protested, but didn’t try to wiggle out of his grip as he walked them to their bedroom. Two beds, one by the window and one at the opposite wall, just like Marya said they preferred. He found some old shirts for them to wear until Marya came back with their clothes and helped them dress.

“Tell you what though.” he said as he was tucking them in, “If you go to sleep now, and you’re very good, we’ll play some games tomorrow.”

“What kind of games?” Pietro asked.

“All sorts.” Erik said, “Any game you want.”

“Really?” Wanda asked, smiling at the prospect.

“Of course. All day, if you want.” Erik said.

This seemed to satisfy the children and they settled down without a fuss after that. Erik finished tucking them in and switched off the light, but he lingered for a few moments, watching them.

“Erik?” Marya called, “Are you coming?”

“Just a minute.” Erik said absently, still watching them, “I just . . . I just want to make sure.”

Marya smiled and left him to his vigil. She would have to leave tomorrow, talk to Django and sort things out in Alexandria, but she knew that she was leaving her children in the safest of hands.

 

* * *

 

Charles was half asleep when Erik finally crawled into bed. He grunted and rolled into his lover’s broad chest; Erik wrapped an arm around him, relaxed and comfortable, but Charles could feel his mind running a thousand miles a minute.

“Erik.” Charles groaned, “Stop thinking so loudly and go to sleep.”

“Sorry.” Erik chuckled, “I’m just . . . excited.”

“I noticed.” Charles yawned. He stretched a little and woke himself up a little; he wouldn’t get to sleep without settling Erik’s mind down to a manageable background noise, “What are you thinking about?”

Erik didn’t answer right away and Charles nearly just went into his mind to find what he wanted, too tired to deal with Erik being a drama queen. Eventually he took a deep breath and answered, “The future, mostly. And the past. Shaw is dead, and that part of my life is finally over.” he said, “Now I have the rest of my life for what comes next.”

Charles looked up at him, heart beating a little faster. This was what he had been dreading; when Erik finished with his revenge and went on to other things. The memory of the beach when he nearly blew the Russian and American fleets to hell with their own missiles played at the back of his mind. Would Erik run off to start his crusade against the humans who has wronged him over and over again? Would he leave Westchester? Would he leave Charles?

“So, what does come next?” Charles ventured, fighting to keep his voice steady.

Erik rubbed his eyes with the hand that wasn’t wrapped around Charles and sighed deeply, “Do you know if there are any Synagogues in the area?” he asked.

“Synagogues?” Charles asked.

“Yeah, or at least within a half hours drive? Marya said she takes them on Saturdays and I think keeping the routine will help them adjust to living here.” Erik said, and he looked so serious that Charles had to laugh.

“What?” Erik growled, but there was no heat, no anger in it, “What’s funny?”

“Nothing my love.” Charles said, reaching up to kiss his jaw, “Just you.”

Erik grumbled, but he settled down into the pillows a little more, curling his other arm around Charles. The smaller man shook his head and ran his fingers up Erik’s side, “I don’t know any I’m afraid. I don’t think you would find one in this area, to be honest.”

“No?” Erik asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Sorry. The whole neighborhood is rather, um, ‘old money’, so to speak.” Charles said.

Erik looked rather unimpressed, “Old money.” he deadpanned.

“That’s probably the most polite way to say it.” Charles said, “There might be one a few kilometres away if you head into South Salem, but I confess I don’t really know.”

Erik sighed, “I’ll make some calls to city hall and see what they can do.” he said, “After that, I should probably get the children some proper clothes. I’ll be driving Marya home tomorrow, so I’ll pick some things up then, but the other children still need clothes.”

Charles patted Erik’s chest, “Let me worry about that. I’ll give Mystique my card and she can get the children started.”

Erik hummed, “You trust her to spend wisely?” he asked.

“Heavens no, but it’s not really an issue, to be frank.” Charles shrugged.

Erik sighed, “Maybe Darwin and Alex should go along?” he suggested, “For practicality.”

“Maybe just Darwin.” Charles hummed, “I think he would be better at keeping a level head about him while dealing with Mystique and fashion.”

“Maybe.” Erik said, “And Alex really has no fashion sense.”

Charles laughed, “No, not at all.”

“Then again, Darwin doesn’t have much in the way of fashion sense either.” Erik said, “Maybe I should go?”

Charles stomped down on the impulse to laugh, “Maybe not.” he said, “While I trust you to buy clothes for yourself that make you look rakishly handsome, I’d rather not have the children all dressed in black turtle necks and scarlet coats.”

Erik looked slightly offended, “I though you said you liked my coat.”

“Oh it looks wonderful on you, darling.” Charles said, rubbing his side affectionately, “But I also remember you spending nearly an hour trying to convince Alex to get an identical one in dark green.”

“It brought out his eyes.” Erik huffed in protest.

Charles laughed and shook his head, “I love you.” he said.

Erik pouted for another moment before he cracked and smiled back, “I love you too.” he said. Charles smiled and pulled him close for a sweet, passionate kiss. Erik smiled and tilted his head to deepen the kiss. Whatever came next, they would have each other. Charles pulled away when he felt a mind in distress.

“Ororo is having a nightmare.” Charles said. Sure enough, a moment later they heard sobbing echo through the halls.

“I’ll get her.” Erik said, rolling out of bed.

Charles settled back onto the bed and watched as Erik searched for a shirt. He smiled and closed his eyes; whatever came next, he had his lover, his sister, and his family to help him through it. For once, for now at least, all was alright in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *author takes a bow and falls on her face*


End file.
